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THE 



HOMEKEEPER 

CONTAINING NUMEROUS RECIPES FOR 

COOHNa AND PEEPAEING FOOD 

IN" A MAKNER MOST CONDUCIVE TO HEALTH} 

DIEECTIONS FOE PEESEEYING HEALTH AND BEAUTY, 

AND rOR 

I^nJBSINa THE SICK; 

THE MAKIN& AND THE CARE OF HOME; THE CARE OP 
CHILDREN AND HIRED PERSONS. 

CONCLUDING WITH 

A FEW HINTS CONCEENING THE WANTS OP THE MAEKET. 



By S. D. FARRAR. ^^ 



BOSTON : 

PUBLISHED FOE THE AUTHOR. 

1872. 






Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872, 

By S. D. FARRAR, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



Boston '. 
Stereotyped and Printed by Rand, Avery, <2j* Co, 



INTRODUCTION. 



Never having seen all the cooks in the world, I cannot say, as some do, 
that there are no good cooks ; hut, of those I have seen, a large proportion 
know veiy little about good and wholesome cooking. As simple as is bread- 
making, all ought to make good bread ; yet it is seldom seen. 

It is asserted that male cooks are superior to those of the other sex. It is 
doubted ; and, if it appears so, the reason is, that male cooks are employed 
only where there is no restriction to the free use of every thing which the 
good cook needs. All women do not have the purse with which to purcliase 
supplies. Give them four thousand dollars a year, as some hotel-cooks have, 
and plenty of the best materials to use, and not long time would it be before 
they could and would cook quite as well as the male cook, and withal, per- 
haps, quite as neatly. 

In families where bad cooking prevails, some one or other of the members 
is constantly sick. Such families have sallow complexions, owing to the 
enormous amount of saleratus in the food. This is an article which the 
good cook never uses : as well might one use calomel in bread-making. 

Some very worthy people are often troubled with "canker" in the mouth 
and stomach, as they call it, and suppose themselves afflicted with humors. 
They even go so far as to blame their ancestors for it. Let them leave off 
eating saleratus, and their "canker " will leave them, never to return. It is 
the cause of so many sore mouths and decayed teeth. 

It is sometimes said that our good Father sends us meats, and quite a 
different person the cooks. If those who are well do not like what their 
agent sends them, perhaps they would do better to try their own hand at it 
for once. It is very easy to attend to some kinds of machinery ; and much 
of men's work is so divided into insignificant parts, he must be simple indeed 
not to do it well. But every part (and there are about a thousand of them) 
of housekeeping requires brains to do it, and not one is more important or 
difficult than all the branches of cooking. Even nursing the sick is not 
more important, as the sick depend more on their food for recovery than on 



4 INTRODUCTION. 

almost any thing else. There is no school to teach cooking, and very few 
reliable or useful recipes. No two persons want every thing alike. Choco- 
late, for instance, may be made thick or thin, sweet or not, just as a person 
fancies, and still be good and wholesome. 

There are good cooks ; but they seldom, if ever, like to tell how they cook 
any particular dish. They are troubled with professional pride, like some 
other people. It is amusing to read the revealed secrets of premium bread- 
making for fairs : so much water, flour, and yeast go to make this wonder- 
ful bread ; but just please to tell us how you make the yeast. This is just 
the point not disclosed. 

A cook-book that pretends to teach others should do so first by inform- 
ing them how long it takes to cook each dish. To say, " Cook it till tender," 
as many recipes do, is no guide at all to learners. A dinner consists of a 
number of different dishes : what time must each begin to cook to get done 
properly in season for dinner 1 That dinner may be ready at the ap- 
pointed time, a good clock in the kitchen is necessary; and every thing 
should be cooked by it such time as directed. 

Here is an extract from an address delivered before an agricultural society 
by George S. Ilillard : — 

" It is doubtless mortifying to the pride of humanity to be obliged to con- 
fess that the grandest energies of the will, and the finest operations of the 
understanding, are dependent upon the way in which we treat that vulgar 
organ, the stomach ; but the sooner we admit the truth, and act upon it, 
the better it will be for us. I am persuaded that the food served haMtually 
upon a majority of the tables of New England is such as the rules of die- 
tetics would pronounce to be unhealthy. ... 

" New England is a region swarming with sensitive and uneasy con- 
sciences. The spirit of reform is restless, clamorous, and importunate. It 
busies itself with distant toils and inaccessible wrongs ; but here is a griev- 
ance lying at our very doors, to which this spirit may be legitimately and 
profitably addressed. Reform your kitchens, reform your gridirons and 
frying-pans, and you will be surprised to find how much your climate will 
be improved." 

Probably the cooking in New England would compare favorably with 
every other part of this countiy, unwholesome as much of it is. I am satis- 
fied that the " sensitive and uneasy consciences " are the result, almost 
wholly, of the constant state of stimulation of their owners, caused by the 
constant daily use of coffee and tea, — beverages which do not cheer except 
immediately after use, and do inebriate to a certain extent. The coffee and 
tea pots need reforming even more than do the gridirons and frying-pans. 

Generous and wholesome living, leaving out the " generous wine " of the 
ancients, will do vastly more to prevent the making of drunkards than any 
other one cause. Drunkards oftenest come from the two extremes of society, 
— from the rich, whose tables are daily supplied with alcohol in its most 



INTRODUCTION. 5 

tempting forms ; or from the poorest, who never know what wholesome food 
is. The leading men of the country come from neither of these classes, hut 
from an intermediate class, who have better food than the poorest, and no 
alcohol, as do some of the richest. 

There is no more need of using wine or brandy in cooking than of using 
any other poison. Children may soon learn to like them if brought up to 
eat them in pudding-sauces, mince-pies, puddings, and other dishes. If any 
persons can conscientiouslv publish recipes containing large quantities of 
these liquors, let them : the responsibility rests with them. Hopeless 
inebriates are all around us, leaving childhood uncared for except by 
strangers ; and often early death removes them from their sorrows caused 
by parental neglect. When we see around us the misery and poverty caused 
by alcohol, is it right to recommend that which we know leads to ruin of 
body, soul, and posterity ? 



b 



L 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 



UTENSILS. 
When beginning homekeeping, two or three persons may 
get along with very few articles for cooking-purposes; but, as 
time advances, necessities present themselves, and ware of all 
kinds accumulates. It is well to get along with as few articles 
as are really needed, as, the greater their number, the more 
labor is increased, and much more room is needed for them. 

CROCKERY. 
China-ware is considered purest of any, and most free from 
poisonous substances. Care is needed in handling it, and in 
pouring hot drinks into it, as it breaks easily. Common white 
ware is next best, and is sold in complete sets, such as are 
considered fashionable at time of sale : articles vary from time 
to time to keep the trade good. The yellow and brown wares 
are not safe, and should never be used. Pie-plates should be of 
good white ware, and made deep to prevent the waste of sugar 
and fruit. Pudding-dishes, if to be set on the table, should 
always be of white ware ; if not, iron is best. 

GLASS. 
This is perfectly pure, except when broken : no pieces of it 
should be allowed in food, as, if taken into the stomach, death 
may result. Some suppose it is improved by putting it into 
cold water, boiling it, and taking out only when cold. Ice will 
sometimes crack a glass dish if laid into it in a hot day, when 



8 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

not cooled gradually. Cold water sometimes cracks a tumbler 
in warm weather. Glass should be heated or cooled gradually 
to prevent breaking. It appears better than other ware on the 
table in summer. Tumblers are preferable to goblets, as not 
upset so easily, and take less room : the bottom should be 
heavy, and as large as the top. Glass is the only suitable 
material for preserving fruits. 

IRON. 
Iron is considered the best metal to use in preparing food : 
it may be used for cooking meats, vegetables, bread, meat pies 
and puddings ; but fruit needs to have the iron lined with por- 
celain, as, if not, it will be of a dark color. A stove needs an 
iron kettle for water, one for cooking water, a dinner-pot, two 
smaller kettles with flat bottoms, another in which to fry 
doughnuts, and one or two porcelain-lined kettles for pre- 
serves ; two spiders, or frying-pans, also one very deep ; four 
oven-pans of different sizes, including one small square one for 
cake ; a cricket of iron to roast meat on ; four pieces of iron 
crossing each other and welded together to keep in the dinner- 
pot ; a gridiron ; and a saucepan. Of other iron utensils, first 
buy some good steelyards. If traders are honest, it will do 
them no harm to have it known ; if not, it will do the buyer 
no harm to know it : the millennium has not arrived yet. 
A pie-lifter is useful, also a long steel fork, a meat-hook for 
reaching meat in brine, a shoe-knife, a spice-mill, flatirons and 
stand, hammer, screw-driver, wrench, and some other tools, 
perhaps. 

SILVER. 
Silver-ware, if rubbed and washed clean, is pure and harm- 
less ; but food cannot be cooked in it. 

STONE. 
Stone-ware is pure, and keeps food well if covered ; it is used 
for pickles mostly : butter will keep sweet in it a long time ; 
and cream should always be kept in it ; also yeast. A small 
jug to hold hot water for the bed of the sick is needed. 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 9 

TIN. 
Tin-ware would he about as expensive as silver, it wears out 
so soon, were it not that most of it is bought with old rags, 
which would be thrown away if not sold to the tin-man. Much 
tin-ware is needed; and some of the articles are here men- 
tioned, — dishes of all sorts and sizes, milkpans, which are 
needed, if there is no milk, for flour and mixing it, a deep pan 
for washing dishes, two smaller ones for rinsing and draining 
them, a steamer, sieve, graters, pails of all sizes, match pail 
and box, pails or trunks with tight covers to keep bread and 
cake from drying, deep square dish for baking bread (if no 
iron one can be had), two sizes of quarts, two tunnels with 
large and small apertures, skimmer, fat-strainer, pint dish for 
fat, cooky-cutter, muffin-rings, wire egg-beater, spoons, oil- 
can and filler, flour-scoop, milk-strainer for those who need, a 
candle-mould to use mutton-tallow, and a painted slop-pail 
with cover. 

WOODEN-WAEE. 

This, also, may be bought with rags of the tin-man. First, 
a large round bowl for those who make butter, a smaller one 
for bread ; and this will last better to let brine remain in it 
some time before using. The moulding-board should have a 
permanent place in the pantry,- but a smaller one is needed 
for doughnuts ; a rolling-pin, chopping tray and knife, two or 
three buckets, and plenty of boxes (all painted on the outside), 
squash and lemon presses, butter-stamp, flour-sifter, spoons, 
two barrel-covers, bread and meat boards, mortar and pestle, 
and large pestle for mashing potatoes, are all needed. Plenty 
of tubs save time and labor ; have four large ones, one of 
medium size, and a smaller one ; also a rubbing-board, wringer 
on a bench, another bench for washing, clothes-fork, a hundred 
spring-pins or less, and dress and bosom boards. 

OTHEE UTENSILS. 
A bag netted of twine, in which to boil cabbage and greens, 
a bag of cotton cloth for boiling puddings, a small one for 



10 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

hops, a cotton cloth for fish, a jelly-bag of flannel, and a swab 
made of cotton cloth tied to a stick, and used to grease baking 
dishes, are needed. None of these should be used before 
being washed. Brass and zinc are not fit to be used in cook- 
ing, neither is copper; but it may be used for boiling clothes, 
as iron rusts them; but it should be kept free from corro- 
sion. Eew baskets are needed, except by the farmer. All 
need one for clothes, one for chips or kindlings, one for pota- 
toes, and one for market. 

FIRES. 

Stoves are preferred to ranges by most persons ; and of these 
it may be said, that, when not working well, the fault belongs 
more to the engineer than to the stove-maker : in fact, one 
would think that some persons had prepared themselves to go 
out to service by first serving an apprenticeship as fireman on 
some railroad. -The coal, if coal is used, is raked out and 
filled in almost constantly, till it glows like a furnace ; and the 
stove is soon ruined, besides wasting three or four hods of coal 
a day, when only one ■ is needed for all purposes. A ton of 
coal, using one hod daily, will last a hundred days; and it 
ought to. When wood is burned, much may be wasted, if not 
regulated by the owner. Hard charcoal should be provided for 
broiling, as no other fuel will do it well, Shavings and kin- 
dlings should be provided, as, if rather expensive in cities, oil is 
more so, especially if an explosion results. The farmer can 
keep his wood growing, and have as much as he wants at small 
expense for cooking, and can enjoy the luxury of an open wood- 
fire to sit by. Those living in cities pay dearly for wood, and 
for them coal is the cheapest fuel. The cheapest way for them 
to obtain kindlings is to buy provisions at wholesale, and use 
the enclosures for fuel. 

When buying a stove, it is best to select one quickly emp- 
tied, as much needless labor is caused by dipping out the ashes 
and cinders. The best part of hard coal is often wasted, or, 
worse than that, poured out and spread orf sidewalks. The 
remnants of a previous coal-fire are the best part of coal; as 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 11 

when sifted, washed, and picked free from that which is wholly 
burned, and spread on the top of new coal, it retains most of 
the heat in the stove, where it should, and prevents the new 
coal from burning too rapidly. Those unacquainted with the 
use of coal poke and punch it frequently, and often put it out, 
' perhaps, just the time it is most needed for dinner. The first 
rule is, after a fire is once made, to let it alone ; but if from 
any cause it needs replenishing, and the draft is poor, poke 
out the ashes from the under-side, putting the poker up through 
the grate, and add fresh coal, setting open all the drafts. To 
kindle a fire, as soon as the shavings and small wood are light- 
ed, commence to put on the coal, a little at a time ; and after 
breakfast fill it up, leaving just room to add the cinders left 
of yesterday : shut it up if the coal is. red-ash; but, if white- 
ash, a little draft may be needed. If let alone, this will, usual- 
ly, keep a good fire all day sufficient for all purposes, unless 
biscuits are to be baked for supper ; if so, rake out the ashes, 
and add fresh coal in season to get it kindled. If warm bis- 
cuits are wanted with little labor, cold ones may be dipped in 
cold water, and warmed in the oven without extra coal, being 
almost or quite as good as new. 

Fire made and kept in this way will be right for cooking 
meats, vegetables, and pies before noon, when a hot fire is 
needed : after noon, it is right for bread and cake baking, and, 
after these, custards. Of course, if a late dinner is the custom, 
it. would be better to use little coal in the forenoon, and make 
up the fire as directed about noon. At night, rake it open, 
leaving the hot poker in a safe place. Cinders will also keep 
a fire in a parlor stove twice as long as it keeps without them, 
thus saving one-half the coal. Stove-dampers never should be 
shut nor stove-doors opened, as the gas is ruinous to life, and 
it cannot help escaping into the room : if too warm, open a 
door. An open fire is the best ventilator, and is no more ex- 
pensive than furnaces, costly ventilators (often worthless), and 
doctors' bills. A sheet-iron stove, such as used to be called air- 
tight, gives more heat from a certain amount of wood than any 
other ; but the heat is unpleasant unless water is kept ou the 



12 THE HOMEEEEPER. 

stove to moisten the air. The cast-iron stove will not keep a 
wood-fire as long a time as will the air-tight ; but the best way 
to keep a steady heat from one of them is to fill it full of hard 
wood each morning, and shut it up, there being cracks enough 
to insure a draft ; at noon fill it again ; and thus a steady fire 
is kept all day : a little additional fuel may be needed in the 
evening. A wood-fire on the hearth needs frequent attention ; 
but it is a pleasant task if wood is plenty. 

A rusty stove may be cleaned by rubbing it with sand-paper 
and sweet oil ; then wipe and black it. 

WASHING DISHES. 

This subject is a disagreeable one, not because there is any 
thing unpleasant ia dish-washing as it should be, but because 
many of the dishes washed are done so in a filthy manner. If 
there is a " domestic " in the house, she is left to wash the 
dishes in her own way and time, whether she ever saw a dish 
before or not. But the domestic is not the only one who washes 
dishes. Many American women always wash their dishes in 
a common sink, and would open their eyes in astonishment if 
told that the practice was not a neat one. I have seen dishes 
washed, and had to eat on them too, in sinks that were no 
cleaner than the sink-drain. I have also seen the same tub 
used to wash dishes, dirty clothes, and feet ; and the same 
towels used to wipe dishes and hands ; the dish-cloth and sink- 
cloth the same ; and the horse drinking in the water-paih But 
let us hope these practices are not common. There is need of 
a reform here ; for no other part of housework is done so badly : 
if it is not fit employment for a lady, neither is eating on the 
dishes. The neat housekeeper washes her dishes on a table, 
using plenty of hot water and soap. Three pans are needed, — 
one to wash, one to rinse, and one to drain the dishes in ; also 
a separate soap-dish : deep tin pans with handles are prefera- 
ble to tubs, as the latter wear a suspicious appearance, and the 
domestic, if not the mistress, may be tempted to use them 
illegitimately. One dish-cloth is enough for a neat person, as 
the inside of iron-ware needs to be quite as clean as china 



THE nOMEKEEPER. 13 

dishes ; and, for the outside, a cleaning-cloth should be kept, 
and used also to wipe off tables and pantry-shelves ; but they 
should be so different as to be readily distinguished, and both 
can be kept white. A fork is better to use than a mop-dish- 
cloth ; and there is no need of putting the hands into the water 
till all are done, and the cloth is to be wrung out. The dish- 
towels should be numerous, and different from other towels. 
Milk-dishes should be washed first, and separately : rinse all 
of them in a little cold water, and put it in the swlU ; next 
use hot suds, washing them perfectly clean ; then rinse in 
clean boiling water, so that, if the milk was sour, it may not 
injure the next milk ; wipe dry with a clean cloth, and turn 
upside' down, in their places, on the milk-room shelves, readj'- 
for use. 

Wooden-ware must be washed in clean water, or it will re- 
tain a disagreeable odor and greasiness. If fat meat is left on 
plates, put it in a firkin where is potash dissolved in water, 
and keep it out of children's reach : in no other way can soap- 
grease be kept through summer, as insects breed in it in a 
short time. 

Of table-dishes, glass should be washed first, and wiped im- 
mediately on a towel which will not leave lint on it : it breaks 
if hot water is poured on it, but may be roUed around in very 
hot water. Silver should be washed next, wiped dry, and 
rubbed with whiting once a week, being washed again before 
using. Tin is usually washed last, and soon grows dark, but 
if washed next in order, and in clean water, retains its bright- 
ness a long time without scouring. Tin scoured with sand soon 
leaks, and might as well be thrown out of doors at once : 
something softer should be used, as whiting or sapolio. Crock- 
ery comes next ; and all crumbs and grease should be scraped 
from it before washing. Before knives are washed, dip the 
blades in water, and let them be soaking while the crockery is 
washed, as then there will be no need of scraping them. The 
handles never should be put into water : when washed, scour 
with fine Bristol-brick, if steel ; and whiting, if silver : wipe 
dry, and put away. Some ruin the handles by drying the 



14 THE IIOMEKEEPER. 

knives on a stove-heartli. The dish-towels should be washed 
each time used, — not in the dish-water, but in clean suds, — 
rinsed, and hung to dry ; next wash the dish-cloth, wipe the 
table, wash the cleaning-cloth, and dish-washing is ended. 
Once a week, boil dish-cloth and towels, but not wash-day, 
nor with other things. 

The sink should be washed, not with the hand, but with the 
sink-cloth, in a wash-bowl of suds ; and this cloth should be kept 
on a nail in the door below the sink. Swill, where there are no 
hogs nor hens to eat it, shoitld be kept in a barrel out of doors 
through summer, and each morning the cold ashes should be 
sifted on it : in this way it does not become a nuisance, nor 
breed insects, but is excellent manure for land. 

GENERAL DIRECTIONS. 

As there are two sizes of quarts in use, they are here called 
large and small quarts. The recipes were all made with gran- 
ulated sugar, where sugar is mentioned ; and a cup of it weighs 
a half-pound, as does also a cup of butter. A small quart of 
flour, just sifted, weighs one pound (flour should always be 
sifted to remove lumps, even if clean), and two cups a half- 
poujid. The cups were measured even full in all cases, and 
the spoons heaped full. Every thing, which can be, should be 
washed, before it is used, till the last water is clean. In boil- 
ing any thing, the time should not be reckoned till it begins 
to boil. Black pepper is extensively mixed with dirt, when 
ground ; and should be bought in the berry, and ground at 
home. Spices a,re largely adulterated, — ginger with cayenne- 
pepper, and others with various things. No vinegar, except 
that made from cider, is free from poisonous ingredients. 
Many, if not all, of the flavoring extracts, are probably made 
from cheap but powerful poisonous acids, which cause a sore 
mouth, and ruin the teeth, if used. Extract of pine-apple, if 
genuine, could not be sold for the price it is. It is asserted 
by some persons, that the sweepings of orange and lemon peel 
from public places are sold to makers of extracts and candy. 



THE EOMEEEEPER. ' 15 

BILL OF FARE. 

The usual custom in small American families is to have aU 
the dishes at dinner set on at once ; and this is called, by the 
French, amhigu. The custom in hotels, and where servants 
are kept, is to have dinner served in courses. Soup strained, 
without meat, and almost or quite without vegetables, is served 
first ; and this is a good custom, as eating at dinner should be 
gradual, that food may be more easily digested. Next, fish is 
served : and it would be quite as weU to stop here, and finish 
with dessert ; but such is not the practice. Meats boiled and 
roasted, poultry the same, game cooked in various ways, sweet- 
breads and salads, come next, with vegetables ; then pastry, 
cheese, fruits, nuts, raisins, ice-creams, and drinks. 

The dinners which are most relished, doubtless, are where 
there is only one kind of meat or fish with vegetables, and not 
too much dessert. The tendency in this country is towards 
gluttony, where food is well cooked ; and, for this reason, two 
meals a day are sufficient for any grown person : the third 
meal causes extra labor, which is wholly useless, as any adult 
would be stronger and healthier to eat but twice each day. 

FISH. 

Fish is considered more wholesome for food, especially in 
summer, than meat ; and it is said by high authority to be the 
best remedy for strengthening the brain when weakened by 
over-exercise. As it is usually served at table before meat, it 
is placed before meat in. the order in which directions are here 
given for cooking both. Some dealers in fish say it is better 
to be kept two or three days after it is caught, or until ripe as 
they call it : but it is preferred by good judges as soon as pos- 
sible after being taken from its native place : there is then 
hardly any more taste in it than in pure water. De Voe, whose 
" Market Assistant " is frequently quoted in these pages, says, 
" Both fresh and salt water fish are considered best a short 
time before spawning, and unfit to be eaten immediately after. 

"In choosing perfectly fresh fish, the following general 
features will show themselves : The fish should be quite firm 



16 TEE HOMEKEEPER. 

and stiff, eyes stand out full and clear, gills quite red, and the 
fins firm, not hanging nor moving about as the fish is moved." 
In cities and their vicinity, fish are prepared for the cook, 
as they always should be, as it takes a dealer who is used to 
the business only a short time to do it, and saves each buyer 
disagreeable work : besides, a fish is easily broken up, and its 
appearance spoiled, by awkward cleaning; and it cannot be 
handled too carefully. In winter, fish may be kept several 
days packed in a firkin of snow ; but in summer it cannot be 
kept long anywhere, except in brine. It is best kept on ice ; 
or, covered to keep flies off, in the coolest place there is. It is 
not as good cooked a second time as meat is, except when 
made into a chowder. 

BAKED. 

Large fish are generally good when filled with dressing, 
and baked ; and the time required depends on the kind and 
thickness of the fish, as well as on the amount of heat. A 
blue-fish weighing from seven to ten pounds requires an hour 
in a hot oven to cook it through : something may, perhaps, be 
known, by this, how long other kinds require to be baked; as, 
the more solid and firm the flesh, the longer the time needed to 
cook it. It should be salted and basted like meat ; and, to pre- 
vent its skin adhering to the pan, lay some slices of salt pork 
underneath it. Make a gravy, and serve with it. 

BOILED. 

Some fish that naturally have little or no taste are im- 
proved by having vinegar in the water in which they are 
boiled : to three quarts of boiling water add a half-cup of 
vinegar and a large spoon of salt. The iron cross-piece should 
be used in the pot to pre%'ent burning. Wash the fish care- 
fully and clean, tie or sew it in a clean fish-cloth kept for this 
purpose, put it in the pot only when the water is boiling hard, 
and take it out as soon as dpne : if dinner has to wait, fish 
keeps better set in the oven than kept in water. Serve with 
gravy. 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 17 

BROILED. 

Thin fish, like mackerel, when opened, may be broiled like 
beefsteak, except it does not need so much turning. Add 
salt and butter, or gravy, and serve. 

CHOWDEEED. 

Good chowders may be made either with cod, haddock, 
hake, plaice, or any fish of good size that has not too many 
small bones in it. Wash, pare, rinse, and slice thin, three 
quarts of potatoes, six onions, and use six or seven pounds of 
fresh fish. First fry in a large iron pot a few slices of fat 
salt pork till done enough to eat ; take them out, leaving the 
fat in the pot ; or, if only butter is preferred, leave out the fat. 
Lay the vegetables and fish in layers ; or cut the fish in two, 
and lay on top. Cod is firmer than haddock or hake, and may 
be cut in small pieces without breaking up. Next add two 
teaspoons of salt, a very little black pepper, one large pint or 
more of hot water, and boil thirty minutes, or tiU the pota- 
toes are soft. Mix a large spoon of flour in one cup of milk 
or cream, adding a piece of butter as large as an egg, pour it 
into the chowder, let it boil one or two minutes more, and take 
it from the fire, or it will burn after being thickened. 



Wash and wipe it clean on a clean dish-towel. Fish should 
be fried in a plenty of very hot fat, and dipped in corn-meal, 
flour, or egg-batter, first. Care should be used not to break 
the fish. 

BLUE-FISH. 

The season for this fish is from June to November, and 
their weight varies from two to twelve pounds. They are good 
cooked in any way. 

BAKED. 

Make a dressing, fill the fish with it, and allow an hour to 
bake one of medium size. Salt it, lay some slices of fat pork 
underneath, and put a few drops of water in the pan. Serve 
with gravy. 



18 THE EOMEKEEPEB. 

BOILED. 

One weighing seven pounds should boil three-fourths of an 
hour. Serve with egg-gravy. 



Cut it in slices an inch thick across the fish ; dip each in egg- 
batter, and fry in hot fat till light brown on both sides. 

CLAMS. 
Buy them in the shells, if good ones are wanted ; pick them 
over, rejecting all that are broken, or that have open shells ; 
wash and drain them ; place them in an iron kettle over the 
fire, and as soon as the shells open, which will be in five to 
ten minutes, take them up, as they are done ; and, the longer 
clams are boiled, the harder they become. The water that 
comes from them is good, if not better than the clams. Some 
like melted butter and pepper-sauce on them ; but they are 
quite as wholesome without this sauce. 

CLAM-CHOWDER. 

In making this, proceed as with fish-chowder, with the 
exception of cooking the clams only five minutes, when the 
potatoes are about done. 

CLAM-STIFLE. 

Use a quart of clams out of the shell ; add a piece of butter 
the size of an egg, a half-teaspoon of salt, and a little pep- 
per ; boil five minutes, and then thicken it with a spoon of 
flour wet in a half-cup of milk or cream ; stir it in, boil once, 
and serve. 

COD. 

Presh cod is preferred by many persons in chowders ; but it 
is good baked or boiled. One of the average size would need 
an hour to bake, or from fifteen to thirty minutes to boil, using 
a large spoon of salt, and half a cup of vinegar, to three quarts 
of boiling water. 



THE HOMEKEEPEB. 19 

SALT COD. 
Pollock are often mixed with cod on sale, and, although not 
as good, are frequently sold for the same price to those who do 
not know the difference. The pollock has a notched tail, while 
that of the cod is nearly straight across the lower end. Some 
persons consider small ones better than the large ones. In 
the morning of the day that it is to be used for dinner, pour 
three quarts of boiling water on the outside of half a small cod, 
letting this side remain up, that the salt may fall to the bot- 
tom of the pan, and leave it to soak till a half-hour before din- 
ner ; then wash it clean, put it in a kettle (inside down), fill up 
with boiling water, and set the kettle where it will keep warm, 
but not boil. At dinner-time dish, removing the skin, and 
serve with egg-gravy, or salt pork cut fine, and fried to gravy. 

COLD SALT COD. 

Chop it' fine in a tray, leaving out the bones and skin ; then 
chop an equal quantity of boiled potatoes (cold or hot : cold are 
the best), and warm it in sweet cream enough to moisten it, if 
it is to be had ; if not, milk will do, with butter added when 
sent to table : or fry some slices of fat salt pork till crisp, take 
them out, and fry the minced fish in that ; but it is not quite 
equal to cream. 

CODFISH-BALLS. 

These may be made of fresh fish ; but salt cod is oftenest 
used. Mince the cold fish as before directed ; roll it into small 
round cakes, flatten them a little, and dip each into a mixture 
of egg-batter, and fry in a little hot pork-fat till browned on 
both sides by turning once. 

DEESSING. 
Chop fine one pint of bread-crumbs wet in one-half as much 
water ; add one egg, not beaten, a piece of butter the size of an 
egg, a saltspoon of salt, a little pepper, a teaspoon of ground 
sage or other seasoning ; mix well together, and fill the fish 
with it. 



20 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

• 

EELS. 

Both fresh and salt water eels are used as food. When sold 
at market, they are found skinned ready for cooking. Cut 
them in pieces suitable for the frying-pan, wash, wipe, and dip 
them in flour, and fry in hot pork-fat from ten to twenty or 
thirty minutes, according to thickness. 

EGG-BATTER. 
Beat one egg very little ; add to it a large spoon of flour, and 
a teaspoon of salt 5 mix well, and spread it over the fish just 
before frying. 

EISH-BALLS. — See Cod. 

FLOUNDER. 
This is a flat-fish. Wash, wipe, dip it in egg-batter, and fry 
in hot pork-fat about ten minutes. 

GRAVY. 
Boil a pint of water, adding, as soon as it boils, one large 
spoon of flour wet to a paste in a little cold water, a saltspoon 
of salt, and a piece of butter the size of an egg ; when well 
mixed, take it off the fire ; dish ; and then break an egg in, stir- 
ring it till well mixed ; or, if there is a cold boiled egg, cut it 
in small pieces, add to the gravy, and it is equally good; 
or leave out the egg, and put in a few capers. Some like pork- 
gravy made by cutting fat salt pork in small pieces, frying till 
crisp, and serving all together in a gravy-dish. 

HADDOCK. 

This is a very good kind of fish, especially for boiling : use 
salt and vinegar as directed for boiling fish in general, and 
boil one of average size fifteen or twenty minutes. It is excel- 
lent chowdered, and good baked or fried. An average one will 
bake in a half-hour. 

HAKE. 

This somewhat resembles cod and haddock, but sells for a 
less price, and is not considered quite as good as the others : it 
makes a very good chowder. 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 21 

HALIBUT. 
This is aa excellent fish, — one of the best for frying, — and 
always brings a large price. The flesh should be perfectly 
white. 



Take a slice three inches thick, cover it with thin slices of 
salt pork, and bake it about three-fourths of an hour. 

BOILED. 

A piece weighing two or three pounds will boil in twenty 
minutes. 

FRIED. 

For frying, wash and wipe it carefully, cut the slices an inch 
thick, and do not have them too large to handle and turn easi- 
ly : a small slice ha,ndsomely done appears better than a large 
one broken up. Take one slice about as large as the palm of 
the hand, or a little larger, in the left hand, while the right 
spreads some egg-batter on the upper-side of the fish. Lay 
this upper-side into the boiling pork-fat over a hot fire ; then 
take a spoon, and spread some batter on the side that is now 
up. Fry it ten or fifteen minutes, or until light-brown on both 
sides by being turned over once. 

HERRING. 

One kind of herring is also called alewife. They are very 
sweet when fresh, and very bony too, somewhat resembhng 
shad, only much smaller : they are usually fried. Many per- 
sons like them when dried or smoked. The Labrador herring 
is purchased very cheap by the quantity, and is nKed by many 
persons. 

LAKE-TROUT. 

Our Western lakes furnish a large supply of nice fish, which, 
when brought here fresh, bring a great price. Many are salt- 
ed before being sent ; and the lake-trout is one. Soak it all 
night in cold water, and boil ten- or fifteen minutes. 



22 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

LOBSTERS. 

These are most plentiful in summer. The largest are not 
always the best. Some very large ones have very little flesh 
in them ; and it is safest to buy those of medium size. A dealer 
in them can always tell a good one by handling it. The flesh 
never should be taken out of the shell till just before it is to be 
eaten, as it soon spoils in the air. Lay it on a clean meat- 
board ; break it in two ; get the rear part out of its shell, and 
lay it down ; cut it open lengthways, and take out the small 
cord, or intestine, that runs through it, as this is poison, as well 
as the " craw, or stomach, which lies between the eyes," and 
with which it is connected. 

It is no wonder that some persons are made sick by eating 
lobsters, if care is not used in preparing them ; but eaten for 
dinner, when got out properly, no harm can come from them. 
The green and red parts inside the body are considered by 
some the best, and should be laid separately on the platter. 
Hammer the claws enough to break the shell, but not the flesh, 
and get out what there is in the body by breaking it in small 
pieces; then send it to the table. The flesh is sometimes 
chopped with crisp lettuce, and a little vinegar mixed with it, 
which forms a simple salad. 

LOBSTER-SALAD. 

Use the flesh of one lobster of medium size, one head of 
crisp lettuce, half a teaspoon of salt, very little black pepper, 
butter the size of an egg, and vinegar enough to mix well ; 
chop all together fine, and spread it on a platter, smoothing 
the top. If there is any spawn (the red part), it should be 
saved to ornament the top ; then boil three eggs six minutes, 
and, when cold, shell and slice them ; lay them on and around 
the salad, and serve. If any lobster is left of dinner, it may 
be prepared in this waj'', set on ice, and it will keep till the 
next day.. 

MACKEREL. 

The season for fresh mackerel commences about the first 
of May, and continues till December. Their average weight is 



THE EOMEEEEPER. 23 

about one pound. They are very good broiled, and served with 
butter. The broiler should be hot, and rubbed with fat to pre- 
vent their adhering to it. They are excellent boiled. Place 
them in a kettle (inside down) with boiling water, and to each 
quart of water add a teaspoon of salt, having no more water 
than enough to cover them. Let them boil ten to fifteen min- 
utes, according to thickness; and serve with butter. Their 
spawn is excellent cooked in them. 

SALT MACKEREL. 

Those who can get the fresh will hardly want the salted 
ones ; but every one does not live where they can be purchased 
fresh. Those named " number one " are the third quality ; 
there being two grades better than number one. The best are 
almost as white inside as when fresh ; while poorer qualities are 
rusty and dark, being packed over when not sold, and kept 
more than a year. To cook salt mackerel, cut off the heads 
and tails, wash them clean, and soak all night (inside down) 
in a pan of cold water ; boil next day, putting them into boil- 
ing water (inside down) five to ten minutes ; or broil them. 

OYSTERS. 
Oysters are not considered fit to be eaten in May, June, 
July, and August; and no shell-fish should be used if the 
shells are found open. It is cheaper to buy them solid, if out 
of the shell, than to pay so much for water. 

STEW. 

Some persons like potatoes in an oyster-stew ; if wanted, 
wash, pare, rinse, and slice thin six or eight potatoes ; boil 
them in an iron kettle, in water sufficient to cover them till 
done ; when soft, add a quart of solid oysters, butter the size 
of an egg, a pinch of pepper, a teaspoon of salt, a pint of milk, 
and boil all from three to five minutes, stirring most of the 
time to prevent burning. Have ready a large spoon of sifted 
flour or a teaspoon of corn-starch wet in cold milk or water, stir 
it in the stew about a minute, and serve. Some would prefer 



24 THE EOMEEEEPER. 

to have the potatoes left out, and a few small crackers added 
just before serving. Oysters should not be eaten at night, as 
so much time is required to digest them. 

PEKCH. 

This is a small fish, and should be fried. Wash, wipe, dip it 
in egg-batter, and fry in hot pork-fat from five to ten minutes, 
acording to size. They are usually found in winter and 
spring. 

PLAICE. 

This is considered one of the best kinds of fish for frying. 
Cut the slices an inch thick, dip them in egg-batter, and fry 
like other fish. It is also good in chowder or any other way. 
Some of them are quite large ; and the summer is their season. 

SALMON. 
This is considered the nicest variety of fish which the mar- 
ket afi'ords. If fresh, the belly is firm ; but red gills are said 
to be no sign of freshness. It is very sweet and nice when 
fresh ; but sometimes, when purchased from carts, it has been 
kept too long, and has a strong, disagreeable taste. The mid- 
dle cut is considered the richest and fattest, and the tail the 
dryest or leanest cut ; but all are good enough when fresh. 
They are generally cut in three pieces to suit the size of most 
families. From March to September is their season. To cook 
three pounds (an average cut), have a pot of boiling water 
ready, with a large spoon of salt to three quarts of water ; wash 
and wipe the fish carefully ; tie or sew it in a clean fish-cloth, 
having water enough to cover the fish, and no more ; and boil 
it one hour or more, according to thickness. 

SCALLOPS. 
These are found ready to eat or cook when purchased. Cook 
them like oysters. 

SHAD. 
This is a very bony fish, but sweet, yet hardly good enough 
to be worth the price it usually sells for. It may be boiled, 



TEE EOMEKEEPER. 25 

baked, fried, or broiled. After it is cleaned, fold together 
without breaking, tie in a fish-cloth, salt the water, and boil 
one and a half to three pounds fifteen to thirty minutes. 
Their season is from February to May. 

SMELT. 

These are the smallest fish used, weighing only from two to 
four ounces each ; and are considered as good as any fish for fry- 
ing, being very sweet when fresh. Their season is from October 
to April. To fry them, take a sharp shoe-knife, cut off the 
heads, taking care to have the intestines come at the same 
time. This is all the cleaning needed, except plenty of wash- 
ing; dry them on a dish-towel. Have a frying-pan of hot 
pork-fat ready ; cover it with one layer of the fish ; fry them 
two or three minutes, turn them over, and fry as long on the 
other side, and take out, laying them, heads and tails alter- 
nately, on the platter, and serve with a little of the gravy. If 
cooked longer than this, they break up ; and this cooks them 
sufficiently. 

SUN-FISH. 

The oil from the sun-fish is one of the best remedies ever 
used for softening stiff cords caused by rheumatism. If its 
value were generally known, this fish would not be left to de- 
cay on the beach when caught, and treated as a nuisance ; but, 
on the contrary, its oil would sell for a greater price than any 
other oil. 

SWORD-FISH. 

The season for this fish is the summer. It may be fried 
like halibut. When boiled, it is almost as nice as salmon. 
Use a teaspoon of salt to each quart of boiling water, and 
allow thirty minutes, or a little more, to boil two pounds : a 
thicker piece needs longer time to boil. 

TROUT. 
Their season is from March to August. Some persons who 
have plenty of cream bake the trout in it ; others prefer it 
fried in pork-fat ; or it may be boiled or broiled like other fish. 



26 THE EOMEEEEPER. 

There are many other kinds of fish ; but enough are given 
to show how to cook all. 

SOUPS. 

Much wonder has been expressed that Parisians should be 
such soup-eaters ; but, if water were as scarce in our houses as 
it is in theirs, we should be compelled from that cause, if from 
no other, to eat soups. When boiling meat or vegetables, 
much water is thrown away ; and those who are obliged to hire 
it brought by the pailful cannot afford to do so : hence it must 
be eaten, and is called soup. It is also a great waste of vege- 
tables, as well as of meat and water, to throw away the water 
they are boiled in : so, in eating soups, nothing is wasted. It 
is hardly worth while to buy meat on purpose to make into 
soups, except for invalids, as there are so many bones and 
waste pieces left of roasted and other meats. It is a conven- 
ient and an economical way of using up all pieces not in good 
shape to present at table, such as the remains of a roast after 
dinner, or of uncooked meat where slices have been cut off for 
broiling or frying. A leg of lamb or mutton is excellent when 
sliced and broiled, and what remains is fit only for a soup. 

To extract most nutriment from meat, put it in a pot of cold 
water ; and, as scum rises, spoon it oif. Four hours are not too 
much time to cook a soup, as it should boil slowly, and not burn. 
Either place the longest bones across each other, resting on the 
ledge of the pot inside ; or use the iron cross-piece, to keep the 
meat from the bottom, _ where it would burn. 

Every dinner-pot ought to have quarts marked in the sides of 
it when made, so that tasting may be dispensed with. "Salt 
should not be added at first, as the water often boils away much, 
and it would be too salt when done. Salt also hardens the 
water, and tends to keep the nutriment in the meat. When 
nearly done, add a teaspoon of salt to each large quart of soup. 

One tomato to each quart of soup gives it a pleasant acid, 
and one' bay-leaf or two to a soup an agreeable flavor. If the 
meat contained any fat, set the soup away till cold, remove the 
.fat, and save it for pastry ; next day warm the soup, cooking 



TEE EOMEKEEPER. 27 

in it such vegetables as are wanted, and season it, and thicken 
only two minutes before serving, as it is almost sure to burn 
if thickened sooner, with flour. If rice is used, it may be 
boiled a half-hour or more. 

Water that fowls are boiled in should be saved for soup, 
and it may be seasoned and thickened like other soups. A 
skilful cook will vary her soups, so that all will not have the 
same flavor. 

The vegetables most used in soups are beans, a little cab- 
bage cut fine, a sliced carrot, egg-plant, onions, parsnips, peas, 
sliced potatoes, tomatoes, and turnips. The flavors used are 
the bay-leaf, the tops or leaves of celery, dill, garlic, harsh 
radish, lemons, marjoram, parsley, peppers, savory, spearmint, 
and thyme ; but all should not be used at once. Thicken with 
rice or with corn-meal, corn-starch, flour, or oat-meal wet in a 
little cold water. The meat that soup is made from is not 
usually served with it : but, if wanted, eat it ; or, if not, save 
it for mince-pies ; but look carefully for small bones. 

Green beans in soup should be cooked two hours ; dry ones, 
four hours ; cabbage cut fine, one hour ; a sliced carrot, two 
hours ; sliced egg-plant, three-fourths of an hour ; onions, a half- 
hour ; parsnips, one hour ; green peas, one hour ; dried split 
peas, three hours and a half; white potatoes, a half-hour; red 
ones, an hour ; tomatoes, any length of time preferred ; and 
sliced turnips, an hour and a half. Cook flavoring materials 
as long as the soup is cooked, except celery-leaves; and these 
are done in a half-hour, and may be eaten as greens. 

BEAN-SOUP. 
Use a pint of dried beans, two or three quarts of water, 
three pounds of beef without bone, and six potatoes. 

BEEF-TEA. 
" One pound of lean beef chopped fine, mixed with an equal 
amount of cold water slowly heated to boiling, and, after boil- 
ing a minute or two, strained through a towel, makes the most 
aourishing sort of soup that can be made." — Liebig. 



28 THE nOMEKEEPER. 

BONE-SOUP. 

Fill a common dinner-pot half full of bones which have some 
meat remaining on them, such as are left after a roast, whether 
beef, mutton, poultry, or veal ; cover them with cold water, 
and put over the fire three hours before dinner. In one hour, 
add one sliced carrot that has been washed, scraped, and rinsed, 
also one or two clean turnips -sliced ; and, in another hour, add 
a teaspoon of salt to each quart of water then in the pot. Wash, 
pare, and rinse as many potatoes as wanted, and, ten minutes 
before dinner, take them out, excepting one or two, and set 
them in the oven till dinner. Strain the soup, removing all 
the bones, mash the two potatoes in the soup, replace the vege- 
tables, and serve with or without the meat, as wanted. 

If pepper is desired in soups, use the vegetable pepper in 
small pieces ; but all pepper is productive of red noses, and is 
not particularly wholesome : most persons use a great deal too 
much of it in seasoning food. If ground herbs are used, leave 
out the potatoes, excepting two for the soup, and cook them 
separately, as ground herbs give them a dirty appearance, al- 
though it is only in appearance. If onions are wanted, boil 
them thirty minutes : if to be eaten separately, cook them 
twenty minutes. 

CHICKEN-SOUP. 
Boil a chicken for dinner, if young, one hour; if an old 
fowl, two hours or more, according to age, in water enough to 
cover it, adding a half-teaspoon of salt to each quart of water 
after it has boiled nearly enough. When done, serve the fowl, 
but set away the soup, and, when cold, remove the fat for pastry ; 
and next day set it on the fire again two hours before dinner, 
and to two quarts of soup add a half-cup of chopped Cabbage, 
a small turnip cut fine, three tomatoes, one bay-leaf, two sweet 
and six common potatoes ; and, fifteen minutes before dinner, 
wet two large spoons of oat-meal in a little cold water ; add to 
the soup, and, when done, serve. 

INVALID-SOUP. 
This may be made of lean beef (if certain that it is not dis-^ 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 29 

eased), of lean mutton, poultry, rabbit, or venison. Cut two 
pounds of lean meat in small pieces, put it into a pot with two 
quarts of cold water, and boil it three hours, or until reduced 
to one quart. When nearly done, add a teaspoon of salt, or 
less, to each large quart of soup. If rice is wanted in it, cook 
it one hour. Strain the soup, saving the meat for pies, and 
serve. Soups for invalids may be varied to suit their taste 
and condition : any vegetables, if well cooked, would not injure 
the convalescent if wanted. 

PEA-SOUP. 

Boil two quarts of green peas, in water enough to cover 
them, one hour, with a few slices of salt pork ; and, when done 
soft, strain, add a little salt if needed, and thicken with a 
large spoon of flour wet in cold water, or with one-fourth of 
the peas mashed fine : add a little butter, and serve. 

It may be made of dried peas. Soak a pint of split peas all 
night in one pint of cold water ; next day, add three quarts of 
cold water, and set all over the fire. Put with it a pound of 
lean meat, either beef, pork, or mutton, and boil all of it three 
and a half hours. If the water boils away, put in enough to 
make three quarts when done. Care should be used that it 
does not burn while cooking. Strain, if it needs it, and serve. 

Eabbit, venison, and game are nice for soups. 

STEWS. 
These differ from soups in being composed of less water, 
and all that is cooked in them is served at table in one dish. 

BEEF-STEW. 
Take three pounds of lean beef free from bones, or six 
pounds of meat and bones ; put it in cold water enough to 
cover it, and let it boil three hours, skimming as the scum 
rises. Two hours before dinner, add a carrot sliced thin, two 
turnips cut small, and in one hour more a parsnip ; a half- 
hour before dinner, four sliced onions, a large spoon of salt, or 
less, a dozen sliced potatoes, a large spoon of rice, and a tea- 



30 " THE HOMEKEEPER. 

spoon of ground savory. Wlien done, thicken with a large 
spoon of flour wet in cold water, boil two or three minutes, 
and serve, after taking out the llones. 

For dumplings, use bread-dough that is raised sufficiently 
to be baked, make it into very small biscuits, lay them on the 
top of the stew a half-hour before it is done, and serve on a 
separate dish. 

MTJTTON-STEW. 
Eemnants of roasted mutton or lamb are good in stews 
made like beef-stew; but two hours will cook them sufficicDtly. 

PORK-STEW. 

When a whole hog is cut up for the use of a family, there 
are many bony pieces fit only for a stew. Fill a dinner-pot 
half-full of these pieces ; cover them with cold water, put over 
the fire three hours before dinner, adding a large spoon, or 
less, of salt, and a small piece of a red pepper. Pare a dozen 
and a half potatoes, cut them in small pieces, and boil a half- 
hour, or more if red ones. 

For dumplings, scald a pint of corn-meal in boiling water 
enough to wet it, and no more, add a salt-spoon of salt, wet 
the hands in clean water, roll the dough into small balls for 
dumplings, boil them twenty to thirty minutes, and the stew 
is done. Eemove all fat, if possible, while boiling. 

SALT-PORK-STEW. 
Cut in slices two pounds of lean and fat salt pork or 
corned shoulder, and put it to cook in a quart of hot water 
two hours before dinner. Add to it, in slices, one cup of car- 
rot, two cups of parsnips, three cups of turnip, and, a half- 
hour before dinner, four cups of potatoes, and a cup of onions 
if wanted. Season with a teaspoon of salt if not salt enough, 
a small piece of red pepper, and thicken, just before serving, 
with a spoon of rye-meal wet in cold water. Eye-dumplings 
are sometimes eaten with it. 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 31 

POULTEY-STEW. 

Whole fowls appear better on the table than odds and ends 
do in a plain dish ; but the latter are very good for a stew. If 
the fowl was cooked with dressing in it, the dressing, if any 
remains, must be taken out, and the fowl rinsed, or it will 
cause the stew to burn. Lay the remnants of fowl in a 
dinner-pot one or two hours before dinner, cover with cold 
water, put in as many vegetables and herbs as wanted, at the 
right time for each ; and when done, and just before taking 
up, put in the gravy, if any was left, and, if not, thicken it 
a little with a spoon of flour wet in cold water ; remove the 
bones, and serve. Make dumplings of bread-dough, and cook 
them on the top of the stew a half-hour. The cold dressing 
may be warmed in the oven, and eaten with the stew. 

A good way, where there is dressing in a fowl, is to place 
the remains of fowl, dressing, soup, gra'vy, and vegetables, in 
a kettle, and set it in the oven two hours before dinner : this 
makes a good stew. 

VEAL-STEW. 
Use the remnants of a roas^ or the neck or breast of veal, 
for a stew : if raw meat is used, put it in a little cold water, 
skim, and let it boil about two hours, adding as many vegeta- 
bles and herbs as are wanted, and cooking each as long as 
directed in soups. Cold roasted meat will stew in less time. 
Make dumplings of bread-dough. 

MEATS. 

Some persons cook meats in such a way, that they lose all 
individual taste, and it is impossible to tell whether it was 
once a part of a calf, lamb, pig, or ox. Meat that is parboiled, 
and then roasted, as some cook it, thus loses its taste, and no 
one could guess where it grew. Each kind, properly cooked, 
has a taste of its own, unlike any other. 

Some directions for cooking meat say it should be cooked so 
long a time for each pound ; but this is not correct, as it re- 
quires longer to roast a leg than a loin of equal weight. The 



32 TEE HOMEEEEPER. 

time required depends on the thickness of the piece to be 
cooked. 

It is said that charcoal sweetens tainted meat if the hot 
coals are put in the pot when boiling ; hut it is better not to let 
the meat spoil, as it is very unwholesome. 

If meat is frozen when wanted for a roast, wash it in cold 
water, and put it to roast, allowing time for it to thaw, and 
then the usual time to roast it : it will need about a half-hour 
more for being frozen. If it is to be boiled, wash as before, 
and put it into boiling water. Flyblows may be washed off if 
any are on the meat. 

BEEF. 

Beef is usually considered best from November to May or 
June, as it is fed on grain. The hind-quarters are the best 
parts. 

CHEEKS. 

These may be used in soups or stews. 

CORNED BEEF. 
There are many parts that may be used as corned beef; but 
the ribs or flank are as good pieces as any. It should not be 
kept in brine too long, as, the less salt in it, the better it is : 
even fresh beef may be boiled in the proportion of seven or 
eight pounds to two or three quarts of boiling water, with 
half a cup or a cup of table salt in it, and is very nice. The 
general fault with corned beef that is sweet is, that it is not 
cooked long enough : almost any part would be tender if boiled 
a proper length of time. To boil beef well, put on the pot an 
hour before the meat must begin to boil, to be sure it will be 
done tender. The water must boil when the meat is put into 
it to prevent the juices going into the water; and have the 
salt in, unless salt beef is to be boiled : this hardens the water, 
and prevents the juices being wasted. If it boils three hours, 
it will be done, unless it is extremely old and tough. If the 
water boils away, add boiling water, that the meat may not 
stop cooking. 



THE HOMEEEEPER. 33 

If a piece of salt pork, either bead, ears, tail, or legs, is 
wanted with it, boil it from two to three hours, according to 
size. Beets never should be cut, but washed clean, and, if 
winter beets, boiled three hoiirs, and summer beets half as 
long. Carrots should be scraped, washed clean, and boiled two 
hours. Cabbages should have all the dirty and decayed leaves 
taken off: examine them thoroughly all the way through 
to find insects, and then boil them in a bag netted of new 
twine, and kept for this purpose, from thirty minutes to two 
hours and a half, as they are wanted, hard or tender, as, the 
longer they are boiled, the softer they become. The Savoy 
cabbage does not require so long to cook as other varieties. 
Parsnips should be boiled one hour ; and winter squash, after 
it is pared, thirty to sixty minutes, according to thickness ; 
potatoes, from thirty to sixty minutes. 

HEAET. 
Where many mince-pies are made at a time, the heart is 
used : it should be boiled till very soft ; and let the water boil 
away at last, using what there is in the pies. Sometimes the 
heart is stuffed and baked. , 

KIDNEYS. 
The kidneys are eaten broiled or fried by some persons, or 
used in stews. 

LIVER. 
This should be fried, or broiled, like steak. 

NECK. 
The neck-pieces are used for soups, stews, or n;ince-pies, but 
need boiling from three to four hours. 

ROASTS. 
" The sirloin is divided into roasts, of whatever size wanted. 
The thick part, containing the hip-bone, will give the largest 
piece ; while the small end cuts two small pieces, from eight to 
twelve pounds each. 



34 THE HOMEKEEPEE. 

" The best of them is the middle-cut sirloin. The other 
part adjoining the ribs is known as the timi-end sirloin. The 
thick part of the sirloin, by cutting off a few round-bone 
steaks adjoining the rump-side, contains the largest part of the 
tenderloin, or filet-de-hoeuf, which forms a large and choice 
piece for roasting, known as the Mp-sirloin. 

" The whole rump-piece is usually divided into two or more 
pieces : the first, or that which joins on the sirloin, is called 
the face-rump, or socket-piece ; the other part is known as 
rump of beef. The first ribs (of the fore-quarter) begin from 
the thin-end sirloin, and are always the smallest, and most suit- 
able for a small family. The first two are called the first-cut 
ribs ; the next — third, fourth, and fifth — are called the mid- 
dle-cut ribs, or second-cut ribs ; and iSie sixth and seventh are 
called the third-cut ribs : these are considered choice pieces for 
a roast. The eighth and ninth are known as the first-cut chuck- 
ribs ; the tenth and eleventh are called the second-cut chuck- 
ribs ; and the twelfth and thirteenth are usually known as a 
chuck-piece, or chuck-ribsP The above is taken from De Voe's 
"Market Assistant." 

The time beef should roast or bake depends somewhat on 
the fire : the lining of a coal-stove, also, has a great deal to do 
with it, as, when the lining has become twice as thick as it was 
originally by the adhesion of clinkers, the oven bakes very 
slowly : either get them off, or have a new lining, as much fuel 
will be saved by so doing. Beef needs a hot oven to cook the 
outside quickly while the inside is rare, that all tastes may be 
suited. Rare roast beef is considered more wholesome than 
the hard, dry pieces ; but it is not agreeable to all persons. 

When carving meat at table, always cut across the muscles, 
as the meat is better, and cuts better, so. 

One rib of beef needs to roast about one hour with a good 
fire. A piece containing two ribs needs two hours to cook. 
Every meat-pan should have something like an old-fashioned 
gridiron, without the handle, on which to lay the meat, and 
keep it out of the water. Wash the meat quickly, that no 
juice may be wasted; lay it on this iron; put a little salt on 



THE IIOMEKEEPER. 35 

the meat, and a cup of water in the pan ; and, when the meat 
begins to brown, baste it with the water in the pan, or, if not 
sufficient, get more. 

Just before dinner, put this water, which will be gravy by 
this time, into a saucepan, thicken it with a spoon of flour wet 
in cold water, and serve : if there is too much fat on it, spoon 
off some, and save for pastry. After a dinner of roast meat, 
much is left on the bones, which a sharp knife will cut off. It 
is good cold, or may be warmed in the gravy another day ; or a 
nice pie may be made of it with an upper crust, or a cover of 
mashed potatoes. If the meat is not cut too close, the bones 
make a good soup. 

ROUND. 
The round just above the shank is often sold for steaks ; but 
it is not fit for them, as it is too tough ; and hammering the 
juice out of steaks does not improve them at all. This part 
is better to corn than to broil. 

RUMP. 
Good steaks are cuti,from the rump, or it may be roasted. 

SHANK. 
This is fit only for soups, stews, or mince-pies, and needs 
long boiling ; three or four hours should be allowed. 

STEAK. 

The round, although often sold for steaks, is not fit to use, 
as it is too tough ; and no amount of hammering wiU make 
tough steak eatable. Good steak is made tenderer by hanging 
till on the verge of spoiling, and should be cooked when it 
arrives at this stage, being kept where flies cannot reach it. 
The rump, or a part of it, makes good steaks. What is called 
porter-house steak is cut from the small end of the sirloin, or 
what would otherwise be roasted. 

" The tenderloin is the most tender part of beef, and is taken 
from the under or kidney side of the whole sirloin, and seldom 
weighs more than ten pounds in all. The thick-end sirloin 



36 THE nOMEKEEPER. 

contains the largest part of tlie tenderloin, and, when not used 
for roasting, is cut into three kinds of the finest dinner-steaks. 
The first and best, containing the largest quantity of tender- 
loin, is known as the hip sirloin-steak, of which there are hut 
two or three in one sirloin. Next in order is the flat-bone 
sirloin-steak, of which there are about the same number. 
This is followed by the same number of round-bone sirloin- 
steaks, which are cut up to the socket-piece." The above is 
also taken from '' The Market Assistant." 

The best and only proper way beefsteak can be cooked is 
over hard-wood coals, as nothing else will do as well ; but it 
is a dish very seldom seen even decently cooked. Those who 
use wood to cook by can make a fire of the hardest wood, and, 
when burned to bright red coals, take off the stove-hearth, 
draw out the coals, lay a gridiron over them, swab its bars with 
fat, and, when hot, lay on the meat cut even about three-fourths 
of an inch thick, turning every few seconds till no raw meat 
is seen on either side. The fat pieces should be cooked sepa- 
rately and last till well done : lay all on a hot platter with a little 
butter and salt on each piece, and serve as soon as cooked. 
Some persons spoil the best steak by fry*ng it in pork-fat, and 
it is oftenest cooked in this way by those who have the best 
materials to cook it with ; but the worst of all dishes is the 
round cooked in this way, as is often done. 

Steak may be cooked in a frying-pan by heating it very 
hot, and swabbing it before putting in the meat, which should 
be cut in pieces about as large as the palm of a hand. A few 
pieces may be cooked over a hard coal-fire, if it is very hot ; 
but the fire soon spoils, so that a second broiling at one time 
is impossible. Cold steak need not be wasted, as it is good 
chopped fine, seasoned, and warmed for breakfast. 

SUET. 
The suet around the kidneys is used for various kinds of 
boiled puddings, baked corn-meal puddings, dressing for meat 
and poultry, and for mince-pies. Candles may also be made 
from it. 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 37 

TAILS. 

Ox-tail soup is considered excellent by many persons, and 
may be made like other soups, removing the bones before 
serving. 

TONGUE. 

When salted ones are purchased, there is usually more or 
less saltpetre in them ; and this should be avoided. It is always 
best to buy them perfectly fresh, as much^ the nutriment is 
lost by curing in the usual way. Have a pot of boiling water 
to put the tongue into; and for a small, fresh one, use about 
half a cup of table-salt ; and for a larger one, and a greater 
quantity of water, one cup of salt. Eresh tongues cooked in 
this way are better than salted ones. Boil a tongue till a fork 
goes into it easily, which will require about three hours for a 
small one, or four for the largest size with the roots on. A 
salt one without roots, weighing ten pounds, will cook in about 
three hours. If it is to be eaten hot, take it out at dinner- 
time, and, with a shoe-knife having a sharp point, peel the 
skin off neatly without chipping the tongue, and serve. If to 
be eaten cold, let it remain in the pot till the water is cold ; 
then take it out and peel it. If it is taken out hot, peeled, 
and set away, the outside becomes hard and dark-colored. 
The same is true of corned beef. 

TKIPE. 
Tripe is usually cooked sufficiently before being sold, and 
only needs to be warmed thoroughly. Lay a small piece of 
butter in the frying-pan, and lay in the tripe, turning it in two 
or three minutes ; and, when both sides are done, serve. Some 
like butter, pepper, and salt on it. It is best when it has lain 
in vinegar a short time before being warmed. It may be 
broiled, if preferred so. 

LAMB. 
Lamb is in season, and of best quality, in June, July, and 
August. 

" To choose lamb, first examine the fat on the back, and then 



38 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

that of the kidneys, both of which should he white, hard, and 
of the same color. Lambs are tender creatures. E,ough treat- 
ment produces a feverish state, which causes the flesh and fat 
to be veiny and of a dark-red color, and also renders it dry, 
tough, and tasteless. 

" The kidney-fat should not be raised, stuifed, or blown, but 
merely its own caul or fat laid on its legs and flanks to prevent 
drying or burnin^vhen roasting. Beware of two or three 
colors of fat found about the dressing of the hind-quarters, 
which, in all probability, is here appropriated from some other 
animal, which gives it a different flavor when cooked. This 
caution applies to all kinds of meat of blown or spongy appear- 
ance, this being frequently produced by human breath." 

The above is taken from "The Market Assistant." 

A quarter of a j'^oung lamb is so small, it is not usually di- 
vided. The hind-quarter is best, and should be roasted : one 
weighing five pounds should roast one and a half hours. The 
fore-quarter may be either roasted or boiled ; but there are more 
bones in proportion to the meat than in the leg, and it is quite 
as good boiled as in any way : put it into boiling water, with a 
teaspoon of salt to two quarts of water. Six pounds will boil 
enough in one and a half hours. The soup may be thickened, 
and eaten at dinner, or set away till cold, the fat removed, 
and the soup warmed next day, having vegetables boiled in it 
either day or both days : thicken only just before serving, un- 
less rice is used. 

Chops, or steaks, from the leg, are better than from the loin, 
being nice slices without bone. Cut around the leg, and broil 
them like beef-steak ; or fry them in a hot pan swabbed with 
fat, and xise the bones for a soup or stew. The head, heart, 
and liver are used after being boiled. The tongues are good, 
but, if corned, sometimes need to be freshened before boiling. 

MUTTON. 
De Voe says, " The age of the animal producing the best 
mutton appears to be between three and five years. 

"■ To choose the best mutton, the fat should be white, clear, 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 39 

and hard ; the scored skin on the fore-quarters nearly red ; the 
lean firm, succulent, and juicy, rather of a darkish-red color ; 
and the leg-bones clear, and nearly or quite white. Poor mut- 
ton is seldom fat ; but, if so, the fat will have a yellowish ap- 
pearance. The flesh of ram-mutton is usually dark." 

The saddle of mutton, which is cut for a large roast, is more 
than most families want for one dinner. The leg is consid- 
ered the best part of the animal, and brings the highest price. 
It should always be used for a roast, or for chops or steaks, to 
fry, or to broil like beef-steak ; while the bones and meat re- 
maining are fit only for a soup or stew. A leg weighing ten 
pounds should roast about two hours. 

The loin is the next best piece, and should be roasted from 
one hour to one and a half, according to size : it is often used 
for chops ; but the leg is better. 

The fore-quarter should be boiled, as it is better done so than 
roasted, on account of the bones : it may be boiled whole if 
not too large, or the shoulder may be separated from the breast 
and neck. A shoulder weighing seven pounds needs to boil 
one and a half hours. Serve with vegetables and caper-gravy. 
The soup may be thickened just before dinner, and the gravy 
made from a part of it. Boil the vegetables with the meat if 
there is room. The breast and neck-piece may be boiled or 
roasted the same length of time as the loin is. If roasted, cut 
off the neck or scrag, and boil it, or save it for soup or stew. 
Those who raise their mutton corn or salt a part of it not 
wanted for present use ; but it will keep fresh and sweet a long 
time in the coldest weather. 

POEK. 

Many persons dislike to eat Western pork who have not 
the least objection to Eastern pork. But what is the real dif- 
ference between the two ? Western hogs are turned in large 
droves into a cornfield, after the com is ripe, to feed themselves ; 
and, as water is a necessity here, it is provided, where tho 
animals can go to it when wanted. Thus they get exercise 
and water, — two things which Eastern hogs suffer for want of, 



40 THE EOMEKEEPER. 

as any thinking person knows who ever saw the small, filthy- 
sty, from six to ten feet square, where the poor animals are 
doomed to drag out their miserable lives, without even a drop 
of cold water through the hottest summers ; all the liquid they 
get being swill. Now, suppose any man had all the soup he 
could drink through the summer, would that satisfy his thirst 
like cold water ? 

All domestic animals are treated cruelly when deprived of 
water and exercise, and cannot help suffering from disease : 
consequently, all who eat their flesh suffer more or less. If 
Eastern hogs cannot have a cornfield to feed in, they can have 
an orchard, or other place, in which to stretch their limbs ; and 
as they eat the unripe, wormy fruit, they are a positive benefit 
to it. Water should be within reach whenever wanted. Hogs 
that are kept in small pens, and stuffed to increase their weight, 
can never be fit for food; and two hundred pounds is the most 
that one should ever weigh. 

De Voe says, " Choice pork is from an animal the carcass of 
which will not weigh less than fifty, and not more than a 
hundred and twenty pounds." 

The leaner pork is, the better ; and being, at best, of such a 
fat nature, it should be eaten sparingly, if at all, in summer. 
Measly pork should never be used. 

" It may be known by the many yellowish lumps, or kernels, 
seen through the fat and lean, as well as by the flesh having 
a heavy, dull appearance." 

When killed, it should be hung in a cold place till cooled 
through before being cut up. Lay the carcass on a bench ; cut 
off the head, and place it in a tub of cold water to remove the 
blood ; next cut the carcass in two by cutting the length of it 
just one side of the backbone ; then cut the other side of the 
backbone, and take it out, cutting it in pieces for a stew. Take 
out the lard-leaves, and lay in a clean pan. 

Cut out the hams and shoulders, and take out the spare-ribs 
whole : considerable meat may be cut from them in slices for 
frying, or for sausages, leaving the ribs just spare enough to 
be good. Our grandmothers would not know a modern spare- 



THE EOMEKEEPER. 41 

rib from the market if they could see one : they used to roast 
one whole, suspended from the mantel before an open fire. 

Cut the fat pork in strips long and narrow ; lay them in a 
tight barrel in close layers, with plenty of coarse salt between 
each ; cover all with salt, and make a brine of a little more salt 
and cold water sufficient to cover all ; put a stone on the top 
to keep the pork under brine, and cover the barrel. The pork 
is soon ready for use. The whole leg should be cut off, as it is 
a very poor part of a ham, but is excellent when salted, and 
boiled with vegetables. 

The head should be divided, and, together with the ears, 
legs, tail, and tongue, should be cleaned, excepting the tongue, 
by scalding the skin, and scraping it till clean ; then pack them 
in a firkin, and cover with a weak brine. It will not do to salt 
them with the barrelled pork, as they spoil it in a short time. 
The shoulders, if not roasted fresh, should be kept in brine till 
wanted to boil with vegetables, in which way they are nice ; 
or they may be smoked like hams. 

EOASTING-PIGS. 
These " should not be less than three, nor more than six 
weeks old : they are best in the fall and winter, weighing from 
eight to fourteen pounds." Cook one from two and a half to 
three and a half hours, according to weight. 

BROILED PORK. 
Slices of fat salt pork may be broiled over hard-wood coals. 
It is eaten with vinegar, and sometimes pepper. 

CORNED PORK. 
Have a pot of boiling water ready ; clean the rind of the 
pork with hot water and scraping, and boil it two hours. The 
head, tongue, ears, legs, and tail are excellent boiled with 
vegetables : cook the latter as directed in the rule for corned 
beef and vegetables. 

CORNED SHOULDER. 
Take a small shoulder of pork, or part of a large one, that 



42 • THE EOMEKEEPER. 

has been in brine a short time, but is not smoked : it will 
boil enough in about two hours. Three hours should be allowed 
for one weighing ten pounds : it is good hot or cold. If not 
too salt, it may be baked, allowing two hours to five pounds. 

EAUS AND FEET. 
These need a great deal of cleaning. First scald the skin in 
boiling water, and scrape with a knife till clean. The legs 
should be cut off as near the ham as possible ; for a long shank 
on the ham is wasted, while it is excellent eating if boiled 
with corned beef and vegetables. Boil them two hours or 



HAM. 

A pickle sufficient for four hams is made by mixing together 
one large pint of table-salt with a large quart of molasses. 
Rub this'mixture all over the hams ; and let them remain in a 
tub, in this condition, one week, if the weather is cold ; if not, 
less time. Then pour over them a weak brine made of a half- 
peck of coarse salt, and water enough to cover all the hams. 
They should not remain in this brine more than six weeks, and 
less time would be better. Hams are usually preserved by 
adding saltpetre to the mixture, which is rubbed over them; 
but it is a poison, and no meat is improved by its use. Smoke 
in meat is unwholesome ; but it will not keep long without it. 
Smoke them in a brick oven, by putting each one on a sled, 
or something similar, kept for the purpose ; make a fire of corn- 
cobs near them, letting them remain till next morning ; renew 
the fire of cobs, letting the hams remain till this is out ; and put 
them away in a diXj place. If wanted to keep into summer, 
put them into a large bag ; place the bag in a tub in some cool 
place, and cover the bag with ashes. The less they are smoked, 
the more wholesome they are ; and they keep a long time 
packed in this way. 

Neither raw nor half-cooked ham should ever be eaten, as 
it may possibly contain tlie minute insect called trichinas, 
which causes sickness, and even death, in those eating such 



THE EOMEKEEPER. • 43 

meat. Whole hams are best to cut slices from for frying ; and, 
if too salt, they may be freshened by remaining in cold water 
a few hours before being cooked. The outside, except where, 
covered by rind, usually needs washing. Cut off the rind be- 
fore frying, and fry till both sides are brown. Fried eggs 
usually accompany fried ham, but should be cooked separately, 
because, if fried in the fat of ham, it gives them a dark, dirty 
appearance. After the larger end of a ham has been used for 
frying, the rest is good boiled. 

BOILED HAM. 
Have a pot of boiling water ready, and boil eight pounds 
two and a half hours, or ten pounds nearly three hours, and a 
smaller piece somewhat less. As soon as a sharp steel fork 
goes in easily, take it out, and remove the skin : it is good hot 
or cold. Whole boiled hams are sometimes ornamented with 
spots of pepper, whole cloves set in them at intervals, and hard- 
boiled eggs cut in sUces. Cut the ham very thin when intended 
for the table ; boil two or three eggs five or six minutes ; and, 
when cold, shell and slice them to lay on the sliced ham. 
Hams may be freshened in cold water over night, and baked, 
requiripg full as much time as to boil. 

HEAD. 
This should be soaked in cold water till free from blood. 
Hang it up to drain ; cut it in two or four pieces, and put it in 
brine with the legs. After it has remained in brine a few 
days, boil it one and a half to two hours with vegetables such 
as are boiled with corned beef or pork. If wanted before it is 
salted, salt the water it is boiled in, using a teaspoon or more 
to each quart, and remove the bones before serving. Peel the 
tongue, and lay separately. The head, when fresh, may be 
roasted whole in an hour and a half, or more if large. 



HEAD-CHEESE. 
Boil the head and legs two or three hours in water enough 
to cover them, letting it boil away at last ; and, when done, 
remove all the bones from the meat, chop it fine, and to each 



44 . THE HOMEKEEPEH. 

large quart of meat and soup add a teaspoon of salt, a very 
little pepper, and a teaspoon of sage or savory; mix all well 
together, and, when nearly cold, lay it into a cloth in a stone 
pat or jar, folding the corners together ; lay a weight on, and 
in a few days it is pressed enough to eat. Slice it cold, or 
warm it for the table. The liquid, which forms a jelly, holds 
the meat together while cold ; but some persons warm it for the 
table, although heat does not improve its appearance. 

HEAET. 
When fresh, the heart is very good sliced, and fried with fat 
fresh pork. It should be fried on both sides till brown. 

LEAF-LARD. 

If any dirt is on the leaves, wash it off, and cut them in 
inch-pieces. Put a little water in the kettle first to prevent 
burning, and put in the pieces of the leaves. Cook this over 
a slow fire, stirring frequently to the bottom of the pot ; and, as 
fast as it melts, dip out the lard, and strain it through a tin 
gravy-sieve into a whole tin pail kept for this purpose. Hot 
lard bursts earthern-ware at once ; and, if put in cold, the lard 
soaks through the pot, and is wasted : therefore tin is tlie best 
material to hold lard, hot or cold. When most of the lard is 
dipped out, the scraps become brown, and swim on the top. 
Dip out as much as possible ; put the remainder into a stout 
bag, and press it with two pieces of wood connected at one end 
by a hinge. Something of this sort is necessary for this and 
other purposes. Some people cook lard all day, burn it, and 
then find fault with the seller. The scraps should be saved 
for soap-grease. 

"Lard is largely adulterated in this country with water, 
terra-alba (white earth), paraffine, and other substances. A 
practical chemist states that he has examined specimens ijjthe 
hands of dealers adulterated to the extent of thirty per cent. 
Some Western specimens held from ten to twenty per cent of 
water." 

According to this extract, the Western lard is preferable to 



TEE homeeeeper: 45 

tlie Eastern ; and use proves it so. Pie-crust made in the usual 
way, if of Eastern lard, is so hard as to be almost like leather : 
no one should buy a second box of it, but let the manufactur- 
ers keep it. Pure lard, when mixed with an equal amount of 
cold water, makes a crust as rich as any one can eat : and no 
manufacturer can deceive the intelligent cook in this matter; 
his reputation, as well as purse, will suffer. 

LEG. 
A leg of pork, such as are generally used for hams, may be 
roasted fresh : one weighing ten pounds requires three hours. 

LIVER. 
Fry some pieces of fat fresh pork ; slice the liver thin, and 
fry till well done, sprinkling a little salt on it while frying ; 
or the heart and liver may be broiled. 

PIE. 

Eill a puddirig-dish with slices of lean, baked pork ; make a 
little gravy, if there is none remaining ; add a little pepper, 
salt if needed, a teaspoon of sage, savory, or other herb, and 
cover with pie-crust. Bake till the crust is light brown, which 
will be in about a half-hour. 

RIB. 

A spare-rib from the market is usually thick, instead of 
spare ; and one weighing six pounds requires two hours to 
roast sufficiently. Most of the meat should be cut off to fry, 
or to make into sausages, and all the ribs left together, instead 
of being divided ; then lay it in a meat-pan (convex side up), 
sprinkle on a little flour and salt, put a little water in the pan, 
and bake one hour. 

SAUSAGES. 

Those who dislike to eat sausages which are made to sell 
can make them with little labor. Use fresh pork, with only a 
small proportion of it fat, and chop it fine,^ — three small pints 
of pork, three teaspoons of fine sage, one and a half teaspoons 
of salt, a little black pepper, adding as much hot water only 



46 THE HOMEKEEPEB. 

as will serve to mix all well together ; or, if preferred, heat the 
meat sufficiently to mix it. It is a great deal of work to turn 
and clean sufficiently the skins generally used to contain the 
meat, if it is possible to clean tliem. jL better way is to take 
a yard of bleached sheeting, wash and dry it, and make it 
into bags, using a piece nine or ten inches wide to each bag. 
Fill the meat into these ; tie and hang up in some cool, dry 
place ; and, when wanted, turn down the bag, cut the meat in 
slices, and fry it till brown on both sides, which will take but 
a few minutes. 

Any imprejudiced person will allow that they appear much 
better on the table than do filled intestines. But, if any one 
prefers the old way, it is better to cook them in the stove- 
oven. Wash them, and bake in an iron pan from three-fourths 
to one hour. It requires a longer time to bake than to fry 
them ; but they cook through without breaking open, which is 
next to impossible when fried. Sausages in skins may be 
preserved through the winter by partly cooking them, and 
pouring their gravy over them in a tin vessel, the lard keeping 
the air from them. 

SOUSE. 
After the legs of pork have remained in brine about three 
weeks, boil them from two to three hours, according to size; 
take out of the pot, and, when cold, pack them in a clean 
firkin or in stone-ware, and cover with cider-vinegar, 

POULTRY. 

De Voe says, " To judge a chicken from a fowl : the lower 
end of the (chicken's) breastbone is always soft, like the gristle 
in a person's ear. The spurs of a young cockerel are soft, 
loose, and short. When old, the comb and legs are rough, 
spurs hard, and firmly fixed ; and both cock and hen have a 
hard breastbone. When seeking for the best fowls, select 
those which are youngest, plump, fleshy, and fat, and the flesh 
nearly white." 

All poultry should have the crop and intestines drawn out 



THE nOMEKEEPER. 47 

as soon as killed : if left in long, they cause the meat to have 
a smell while cooking, and a taste afterwards like the intes- 
tines, which is very disagreeable. When a fowl is purchased, 
cut a small slit back of the crop, and take it out, if there ; 
take out all the giblets ; cut off the oil-bottle and feet ; light a 
piece of brown paper, and hold the fowl over it till the hair is 
singed off. If the pin-feathers are hard to remove, a pair of 
pinchers will aid the operation. Wash the fowl inside and 
outside till the last water is clean, and hang it up to drain, or 
wipe it. 

If dressing is to be used, fill the cavities with it, and sew 
them up with a needle and thread, or washed white yarn : it 
does very well not sewed, sometimes, if there is not much dress- 
ing. Tie a clean twine or yarn around the body, over the 
wings, if it is to be roasted, and another around the lower 
joint of the legs, to keep them in place. Lay it on a baking- 
pan, sprinkle on it a little salt and flour (the latter to prevent 
scorching the outside), a little water in the pan, and it is ready 
for the oven : it should be basted often. Next prepare the 
giblets. Cut the gall from the liver, and throw it away, tak- 
ing care not to break it before removing, as it gives a bitter 
taste to all it touches. Cut the gizzard open across the nar- 
rowest way ; remove its contents and both vents ; cut open the 
heart, and wash all these till clean, and boji them in a little 
water one hour and a half Young chickens not fully grown 
are sometimes called 

BROILERS. 
A half-hour is required to cook them, unless very smaU. 
Broil them like beef-steak, over hard-wood coals ; and, if well 
done, they will be very nice. 

CHICKENS. 
Some call all fowls not over a year old chickens. Prepare 
according to the directions already given, and roast or bake 
an hour ; or, if boiled, an hour is enough. Serve with gravy. 
Chickens over a year old are called — 



48 THE EOMEKEEPER. 

FOWLS. 
And it is quite as well to boil or pot them, as sometimes they 
have seen numerous summers ; and an old fowl well potted is 
nearly, if not quite, as good as a chicken roasted. 

BOILED. 

Prepare as usual, except the stuflSng and tying ; put it into 
a pot containing boiling water, and let it boil from one and a 
half to three, hours, according to size and age. Boil with it a 
pound or less of salt pork, if wanted, an hour and a half ; and, 
at the proper time for each^ add the vegetables, such as cab- 
bage, carrot, turnip, parsnip, squash, and potatoes. The soup 
is excellent if thickened, and may be served first. If there is 
too much fat, spoon off some, and save for pastry ; but, if it is to 
be eaten next day, set it away without thickening. When cold, 
take off the fat, and thicken when warmed. 

BONED. 

Boil a chicken two, or a fowl four hours, in a very little water, 
and then remove all the skin and bones, adding a teaspoon of 
salt, a half-teaspoon of fine sage or other herbs, a little pepper, 
and put with the soup, after all are well mixed together, into a 
tin dish. When cold, it may be sliced. 

FRICASSEED. 

A chicken needs boiling nearly an hour to be made into a 
fricassee. Take it out of the pot, cut it up, and fry it in a lit- 
tle fat from salt pork till brown, or broil it a few minutes; 
then thicken the water it was boiled in with a spoon of flour 
wet in cold water ; cook the chicken in it a minute or two, and 
serve all in one dish. 

POTTED. 

Prepare the fowl as for roasting ; put it into a pot that has a 
little water boiling in it, and let it cook, if old, two to three 
hours : a young one will cook in less time. Cook the giblets 
in the same pot two hours, if the fowl is old ; and, if young, one 
and a half Make the gravy of the soup which the fowl made 



THE HOMEEEEPER. ^ 49 

by boiling. Care should be used that the water does not boil 
wholly away at any time. 

DRESSING. 

NUMBER ONE. 

Chop fine a half-pound of fat salt pork, wet two dozen 
crackers, or the same amount of bread, in cold water, and chop 
with the pork ; add a pinch of black pepper, a large spoon of 
fine sage, and water enough to mix it. 

NUMBER TWO. 

One pound of beef-suet chopped fine, one and a half pints of 
bread wet in a cup of water, and chopped, a half-teaspoon of 
salt, a pinch of pepper, a large spoon of fine sage or other herb, 
and an egg. All this should be chopped together. 

NUMBER THREE. 

One and a half cups of chopped beef-suet, one and a half 
small quarts of bread, a cup of water, an egg, a teaspoon of 
salt, a pinch of pepper, a large spoon of sage, savory, or other 
herb ; and mix all together by chopping. 

NUMBER FOUR. 

Half a cup of butter, three pints of breadf a large spoon of 
sage or savory, a pinch of pepper, an egg, and a cup of water ; 
chop all together. 

Some persons add onions to the dressing ; but, as they are 
disagreeable to so many persons, it is polite to leave them 
out. They may be cooked separately. 

DUCKS. 

De Voe says, " The young or spring duck is always the best. 
The joints in the legs will break by their own weight. The 
windpipe will also break easily under the pressure of the fin- 
gers. The lower end of the flat breast-bone should be soft ; 
and, above all, they should be plump and fat." 

Prepare as other fowls, and roast a young duck one hour. 



50 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

An old one should be boiled with vegetables, or stuffed and 
potted two hours or more. 

GEESE. 

The same author says, "The bill and feet of the young 
goose are yellow, while those of old ones are red. The lower end 
of the breast-bone should be soft ; and they should be plump 
and fat. The leg-bone in a young goose will break of its own 
weight. Green geese are from two to three months old, and 
are three-fourths grown." 

These are much nicer than older geese, and are tender 
enough to roast. Prepare them like other fowls, and also take 
out the fat around the opening ; then stuff and roast. A young 
or green goose, weighing five or six pounds, will roast sufficient- 
ly in two or two and a half hours. Or fill it with dressing, 
and pot it two and a half hours. 

Old geese are too tough ever to roast tender : they may be 
potted, or cut up and boiled with vegetables ; but it is almost 
impossible to boil one too long. I have heard of one, twenty- 
one years of age, that was boiled all day, and was quite eata- 
ble. If it is to be potted, stuff it, taking out the leaves of fat 
(or it will have a strong taste), and cook it three or four hours, 
taking care that the water does not boil away ; but, at the same 
time, as little water as possible should be used. If boiled, leave 
out the dressing ; and, if very old, boil as long as possible be- 
tween breakfast and dinner ; and, at the proper time for each, 
put in the vegetables. If the goose is too large for the pot, 
divide it. 

GEAVY. 

The gravy for poultry should be made of the water in which 
the giblets were boiled. Take them out, and, when the liquid 
boils, add a large spoon of flour that has been smoothed in cold 
water, stirring constantly ; let it boil one or two minutes, and 
set it off the fire. Mash the liver fine, cut the heart in small 
pieces, also a part or the Avhole of the gizzard, and add all to 
the gravy. An eg^ may also be added, either stirred in imme- 



THE HOMEEEEPER. 51 

diately, or boiled witli the gravy two minutes, and broken xip ; 
or a cold boiled egg may be cut in small pieces, and put in it ; 
also a saltspoon of salt, a small piece of butter if needed, stir- 
ring all together in the saucepan. It is then ready to serve. 

GROUSE, OR PARTRIDGE. 
These are " in market from September to January, but are 
best in October and November." In hard winters they are 
said to feed on the poison-laurel, owing to a scarcity of food; 
but those in the vicinity of orchards feed on the buds of trees. 
The crop should be examined, to see what it contains, before 
using. If young, they are excellent broiled, same as chickens. 
If old, boil or pot them. 

GUINEA-FOWLS. 
These are considered best in winter. Cook them like other 
fowls of equal weight and age : if young, broil or roast ; if old, 
boil or pot. 

PEA-FOWLS. 
De Voe, in his " Market Assistant," says, " The flesh of the 
pea-fowl is almost or quite equal to the turkey." 

PIE. 

Meat-pies are best made without an under-crust, as the juice 
of the pie soaks it soft, and it becomes unwholesome to eat. 
Nearly fill a pudding-dish with the meat only of cooked fowls ; 
put the dressing in the centre ; and pour the gravy over all ; 
season it with salt, only a little pepper, some ground savory or 
other herb, and some pieces of butter. Cover it with a thick 
pie-crust which has an incision in the centre for the escape of 
steam ; and bake it till the crust is light brown, which will take 
about a half-hour. 

PIGEONS. 

Pigeons are not as good roasted as boiled or potted : it 
takes the same time to roast them, and they dry up unless 
constantly basted. The intestines should be taken out before 
selling ; but, if they are not, the cook should do it as soon as 



52 THE EOMEKEEPER. 

bought, as they injure the delicate flavor of the birds. Cut off 
the feet, and wash the birds till clean ; have a little boiling 
water in a pot, salted a little ; put the pigeons in, and boil or 
pot them an hour and a half. 

QUAILS. 

These may be cooked like pigeons ; and the same time is 
required. 

TURKEY. 

Turkeys are best in fall and winter, as those hatched in the 
spring are ready for market at these seasons. 

" To judge the young from the old : the young has smooth, 
and most "of them black legs (the young Tom has also short, 
loose spurs), and a soft, gristly breastbone at the thin ead. 
When the legs are rough, the spurs of the cock long and hard, 
and the breastbone hard, covered with a soft, tough-looking, 
fat skin, — these signs are generally those of age." 

Prepare the turkey for cooking like other fowls. A young 
one is better roasted than an old one. One weighing five or 
six pounds will roast in from from one and a half to two 
hours. One weighing ten or twelve pounds needs three hours, 
but, if old, a little more time : an old one, however, is better 
boiled with vegetables, or potted. If too large to boil, it may 
be divided. Add the vegetables, each in its proper time, such 
as cabbage, carrot, turnip, squash, and potatoes. After the 
turkey and vegetables are taken out, the soup, if too much for 
the gravy, may be thickened with flour, and eaten first. Boil 
the giblets two hours, and add, in part, to the gravy. Boil the 
turkey, if ten pounds, two and a half to three hours. If not 
too large for the pot, it may be stuffed and potted whole, with 
a quart or a little more of water ; but the water should not be 
allowed to boil away entirely. Cook five to ten pounds from 
one and a half to three hours. Almost any poultry, young or 
old, is better potted than roasted or baked. 

RABBIT. 
The wild rabbit is " found in market from September to 
January ; after which they should not be purchased. They are 



THE HOMEKEEPETi. 53 

best in November. When over one year old, their flesh is dark, 
dry, and tough. When old, their claws are long and rough." 

If young and fat, they are very nice, and, when broiled, are 
as good as broiled chicken, if not better. Broil one a half- 
hour over hard-wood coals. They may be stuffed and baked, 
or potted, boiled, or made into a pie after being cooked. The 
domestic rabbit is considered by some superior to the wild. 

" The young, for the table, are best from twelve weeks to 
twelve months old." 

VEAL. 

Calves less than four weeks of age should never be eaten ; 
and those from four to six weeks make the best veal. When 
properly dressed by the butcher, veal has a reddish appear- 
ance. Starved veal is always white, and never should be pur- 
chased. 

BREAST. 

This part contains the sweetbreads ; but they are usually 
sold separately. The breast is used for roasting, and will cook 
sufficiently in about two hours. 

FORE-QUARTER. 
The fore-quarter is the shoulder, neck, and breast, and should 
be divided, as it is too large for one roast ; or, if roasted whole, 
make an incision, and fiU it with dressing ; and, if the piece 
weighs ten pounds, raast it two hours in a brisk oven. 

HEAD. 
The head, tongue, heart, and liver are frequently boiled 
together, making an excellent dish for those who like it. 
Soak the head in cold water over night ; wash it till clean ; and 
see that the tongue is not cut in pieces when the head is. Cut 
the others apart, if together (laying the brains one side when 
the head is cleaned), and wash till clean. Have a dinner-pot 
half full of boiling water ; put all in except the brains, laying 
the head in last ; for, if it is at the bottom, it may fall in pieces 
when taken up. Boil a piece of salt pork with it, if liked, the 



54 THE HOMEEEEPER. 

same length of time ; or use a spoon of salt. Boil an hour 
and a half, if large ; and, if small, an hour and a quarter will 
cook it. Wash the brains, peeling off the thin membrane 
which envelops them ; tie them in a muslin bag, and boil with 
the rest a half-hour. When taken up, peel the tongue, and 
remove the bones from the head. Thicken the soup if wanted, 
excepting what is needed for gravy. Vegetables may be boiled 
in the same pot if there is room. Greens are usually cooked 
as an accompaniment to this dish. 

For the gravy, use a pint of the water the meat was boiled 
in ; thicken it with a spoon of flour smoothed in cold water ; stir 
a few seconds, and set it off the fire ; stir in the brains and a 
teaspoon of ground sage, a little black pepper, a saltspoon of 
salt (if needed), an egg, and a piece of butter as large as an 
egg. 

HASH. 
Chop fine (the next day) what remains after dinner, with an 
equal quantity of cold potatoes ; add the gravy ; and warm in a 
frying-pan, or in an oven. 

KNUCKLE. 
The knuckle, or shank, is best boiled, or made into a stew. 
Five pounds require an hour and a half, or a little more, to 
boil tender. Use about three quarts of water ; add a spoon of 
salt ; and, when the water boils, put in the meat. Thicken the 
soup, and serve first, if wanted, excepting what is needed for 
gravy. Vegetables may be cooked with it. 

LEG. 
The hind-quarters of veal are the choicest parts. The leg is 
too large to roast whole ; and a large roasting-piece may be cut 
off the best end, and the knuckle, or lower part of the leg, 
used for boiling, stew, or soup ; or slices for frying or broiling 
may be cut off of the larger end. If the bone is removed from 
the roasting-piece, fill its place with dressing ; and roast ten 
pounds about three hours in an oven not too hot. 



THE IIOMEKEEPER. 55 

LIVER. 
Calfs liver is excellent broiled like steak ; or it may be fried. 
Cut it in slices a haK or tbree-fourths of an inch thick. 

LOIN. 
The loin is considered a choice part of veal, and may be 
roasted whole, or a half at a time. Two hours will cook it suf- 
ficiently. The loin is also used for veal-chops, either to fry or 
broil ; but shces from the leg are better. 

NECK. 
The neck is fit only for a stew, soup, or boil. Put it into a 
little boiling water, and cook it one and a half to two hours, 
with a half-pound of salt pork if wanted, and some vegetables. 

PIE. 

Nearly fill a pudding-dish with slices of cold cooked veal, 
either head or remains of a roast ; lay the dressing in the cen- 
tre ; and cover the gravy over all, seasoning with a very little 
salt and pepper, and a teaspoon of ground sage, savory, or other 
herb. Cover with a thick pie-crust, leaving an aperture for 
steam to escape ) and bake till the crust is light brown, or about 
half an hour. 

SWEETBREADS. 

These may be broiled, fried, or made into a stew. 

TONGUES. 
These may be bought fresh in the market, and are very 
gQod. Put them into a stone jar with a half-cup of table-salt 
to a quart of cold water ; cover it ; and in one or two days they 
are fit to cook. Put them into boiling water enough to cook 
them, and let them boil one and a half hours. They should 
be peeled, and are good hot or cold. Hearts need boiling the 
same length of time. 

VENISON. 

De Voe says, " Buck venison is best when killed from the 
first of August to the first of November j but it is quite difficult 



56 THE EOMEEEEPER. 

to have it fresh in our markets at this early date. After the 
first of November, the doe venison is preferred ; and it contin- 
ues good until the first of January, after which time these ani- 
mals should not he killed. Venison first begins to make its ap- 
pearance in small quantities in our markets in the latter part 
of September ; and is sometimes found as late as the first of 
March following, having been kept in a frozen state. It can- 
not be too fat ;»and, if it have no fat on the back, it is of a very 
poor quality." 

Steaks of venison should be broiled just like beef-steaks, 
and, if well cooked, are much nicer ; or it may be roasted. 

EGGS. 

There is a great variety of fowl's eggs which may be used 
as food ; but hen's eggs, being more plentiful, are most used. 
The shell beipg porous, much of the inner part escapes or dries 
if long kept ; and there is not nearly as much in an old egg as 
in a fresh one, besides the quality of it being very poor : hence 
old eggs, such as the market affords through the winter, are 
nearly worthless, to say nothing of one-half of them being 
wholly decayed, making them very expensive to the buyer at 
the usual prices. By boiling, the difference can readily be 
noticed between a fresh egg and a " store " egg : one of the 
latter would satisfy most tastes. 

BOILED. 

Have a saucepan of water boiling on the fire; put the eggs 
in as quickly as possible, and cover them, boiling them exactly 
four minutes for most persons. If wanted hard, boil them five 
minutes ; but, the less cooking they receive, the more easily 
they are digested. For sick persons, they should be boiled 
only three minutes ; and, for any one, only the freshest eggs 
are good boiled. 

FEIED. 

Have a frying-pan containing good lard enough to cover the 
eggs ; break one at a time into a cup, and pour it into the fat, 



TEE EOMEKEEPER. 57 

which should be hot. Dip the fat over them, if not covered, 
and cook two to three minutes. If ham is wanted with them, 
it should be cooked in another pan, as it spoils the appearance 
of the eggs if cooked with them. 

DROPPED. 

Break and drop the eggs into a frying-pan of boOing water, 
and let them remain three minutes : as they are likely to spread 
around some, place some muffin-rings in the frying-pan, and 
drop an egg in each one, having water enough to cover the 
tops of the rings. 

FRIZZLES. 

One cup of chopped, cold fresh meat (tongue is good), four 
beaten eggs, a teaspoon of salt, a little sage or savory, and a 
large spoon of flour ; mix, and spoon this into hot fat, and fry 
till brown on both sides, a spoonful in a place. 

MINCED MEAT. 

Many persons have an erroneous idea of, and a prejudice 
against, minced meat and baked bread-puddings : did they 
know any thing about cooking, they would know that it is 
equally easy to prepare any other kind of food in a manner 
not over-neat, if one is so disposed. Who ever heard of 
their refusing a piece of good mince-pie ? and yet there is 
quite as much opportunity to make it in a dirty manner as 
any other article. 

Remnants that are left on plates should never be used, un- 
less each of the family chooses to eat what the others leave : 
never should boarders' remnants be cooked over. It is a better 
way for each one to have no more than can be eaten. Rem- 
nants left on platters may and should be worked up economi- 
cally, and may be made very palatable. Appearances are no- 
where more deceitful than in the food we eat. Not many, prob- 
ably, would eat macaroni, did they see it prepared ; and yet it 
appears very nice. Persons have been poisoned by lead in 
flour, caused by the mill-stones being patched or filled, where 



58 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

worn, with, lead (a very wrong way of mending tliem) ; yet flour 
appears very nice. Those who cannot eat minced meat drink 
lead water without difficulty. 

To prepare it, chop fine the remnants of cold boiled corned 
beef, also an equal quantity of cold boiled potatoes, with the 
pieces of boiled beets, turnips, carrots, parsnips, and a very 
little cabbage, if there are not too many of them. Many per- 
sons would prefer only the meat and potatoes ; while others 
want onions in it, or cooked to eat with it. If the meat is all, 
or nearly all, fat, add some hot water, and fry it a half-hour, 
stirring it nearly all the time, or it will burn. If the meat is 
lean, before frying it put into the pan some beef-fat, or the fat 
of fried salt pork, and a very little water with it. It should 
be stirred almost constantly in either case, and salted if it 
needs it. 

SANDWICHES. 

These are in convenient form to take on a journey or to pic- 
nics. They may be made of bread sliced thin, or of short bis- 
cuits made like pie-crust, and thin slices of cold boiled ham, 
corned beef, or tongue. Cut-the bread in small squares ; butter 
it thin and evenly on one side, putting the buttered sides to- 
gether, with a slice of meat between : if the meat projects, trim 
it off, and then keep them in tin to prevent drying. 

VEGETABLES. 

Some vegetables keep better in sand than in any other way ; 
some of which are carrots, celery, parsnips, radishes, and tur- 
nips. Most of them are best cooked and seasoned in a simple 
manner. All require a great deal of washing ; and a good rule 
is to wash each till the last water is clean, as well as the vege- 
tables. All vegetables lose much of their nutriment and taste 
if boiled in soft water : so, if rain-water must be used, it should 
be hardened by the addition of salt before the vegetables are 
put into it. 

ARTICHOKES. 

These are used mostly for pickles. 



THE EOMEKEEPER. 59 

ASPARAGUS. 
This wholesome vegetable should be cut often enough to 
keep it tender. If, when purchased, the lower end is hard, as 
it often is, break it off. Boil it thirty minutes'in as little salted 
water as possible, and in a tin vessel, having the water boil 
when the asparagus is put in. Cooked in this way, it retains 
its green color. If only a little water is left, serve it with the 
asparagus, which should have been cut in short pieces, and add 
a little butter. The water, if much, may be thickened when 
done, as much of the nutriment boils into it. 

BEANS. 
It is said that beans and peas contain more nutriment than 
any other vegetable. They should be cooked till soft, other- 
wise they are hard to digest. 

BAKED. 

The smallest white beans are generally considered the only 
sort fit to be baked ; but many others are equally good, the red- 
eyed bean being one. If they are wanted for Sunday's break- 
fast, it is best to put them soaking in cold water Friday night, 
especially if old. To one quart of beans put a pint of cold 
water, after having picked them over and washed them. The 
next morning, add more cold water, and set the kettle, which 
should be iron, on the stove ; and, if the beans are to be baked in 
a brick oven, they should boil a half-hour on the stove first, 
or an hour if they were not soaked ; but, if to be baked in a 
stove-oven, they may be prepared for it as soon as they boil 
by adding a half-pound of salt pork well cleaned or other 
meat, a teaspoon or more of salt, and the same of molasses or 
sugar if wanted ; but some prefer them without the latter. 
Some change the water after boiling them ; but this wastes 
much of the nutriment. If the water evaporates before the 
beans are done, fill up with boiling water, and keep the beans 
covered in it till nearly done, when it should be allowed to 
bake away. The beans are not cooked sufficiently till night ; 
and the greatest fault with those who fail to bake them after 



60 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

the ISTew-England way is, tliey do not cook tliem long enough. 
Those who have brick-ovens should let the beans remain in 
them all night ; and in the morning they are ready for break- 
fast. 

Cold baked beans may be made very good by frying a few 
slices of fat salt pork till done sufficiently to eat, and, after 
taking them out, frying the beans in the fat a few minutes, or 
till heated through. 

SHELLED. 

Green shelled beans should be boiled in as little water as 
possible ; and all of it should be dished with the beans, as a 
large share of the nutriment goes into the water. If done in 
this way, it does not matter so much whether the water is hot 
or cold, but it is just as well to have it hot ; and it should be 
salted, either with salt or salt pork, before the beans are' put 
in. Other meat is equally good to boil with beans ; but they 
will have a different taste somewhat. Boil them one and a 
half to two hours ; and to one quart of shelled beans add 
a half-pound of pork, with only water enough to cover all. 
When done, put a little butter, and more salt if needed, into 
the pot, stirring all together evenly, and serve. 

STEWED. 

These do not differ much from green shelled beans. Use 
the ripe, red-eyed beans, soaking them in cold water over 
night, in the proportion of a quart of beans to a pint of 
water; boil them slowly three to four hours, with a half- 
pound of salt pork or other meat, and water sufficient to cover 
them, taking care that they do not burn. Some persons add 
a small piece of a red pepper. When done, add a little but- 
ter, and serve. Beans cooked in this way are excellent in 
winter. 

STRINGED. 

The cranberry, the red-eyed, and the wax bean, are used as 
stringed beans ; the pod of the latter being yellow while in a 
green or unripe state, and is considered the nicest variety to 



THE UOMEKEEPER. 61 

use in this way. First pick them over, and then wash them 
clean before cutting them, otherwise the dirt would wash inside 
of the pods. Cut off each end to throw away, but no more 
than is useless ; then cut each pod into pieces a half-inch in 
length ; and, as hot water makes them hard, put in cold water 
till it can be seen, and no more, adding a few slices of salt 
pork ; or to two quarts of pods put a half-pound of pork. 
They should boil an hour and a -half, excepting the wax bean; 
and these will cook in from thirty to sixty minutes. If the 
pods are not brittle when broken, they are too old to eat ; and 
no amount of boiling will make them good. After the green 
varieties have boiled a half-hour or more, put with them some 
pared potatoes ; and, when all are done, take out the pork and 
potatoes, add to the beans a half-cup of sweet cream or as 
much milk, and a piece of butter the size of an egg. Noth- 
ing improves stringed beans more than cream or milk. If 
more salt is needed, add it ; mix all well together, and serve. 
With the wax beans the potatoes may be put in at the same 
time ; and the pork should be boiled an hour and a half. Pre- 
pare these beans for the table like the others. 

BEETS. 
The young plants, when small, are used as greens ; and, after 
the beets have nearly attained their growth, the tops, or leaves, 
are good in this way. Care should be used to remove insects, 
if any, when picking over the leaves : wash them till the last 
water is clean ; and boil them in a cabbage-net thirty minutes 
if young, or longer if older. They are best boiled with pork 
or other meat ; but, if boiled alone, salt the water, of which 
there should be as little as possible. If the leaves have large, 
hard stems, the stems should not be used. Beets should not 
be cut when cleaned, as this allows the juice to run out. They 
should be boiled about one and a half hours in summer if fully 
grown, and nearly three hours in winter. When done, take 
them into a pan of cold water ; slip off the skins as quickly as 
possible, and send to the table. When left cold, slice them 
into a little vinegar, and use as pickles. 



62 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

CABBAGES. 
It is said by some, tliat cabbages are best kept in brine 
tbrougb winter. Some varieties need cooking longer tban 
others, and some persons like it, cooked only twenty minutes ; 
while others prefer it when cooked two hours and a half. 
Some kinds, if not cooked long, are hard ; but the Savoy is 
cooked sufficiently in a half-hour : the hard, green varieties 
need to boil about two hours. Pick the head apart; wash it 
clean, and boil it in a cabbage-net made of stout twine netted 
in a large square, folded once, and sewed, with a string in the 
top to draw it. This net saves all the cabbage that is good, 
and is economical in the end, as, without it, the outside leaves 
are often thrown away. All greens should be boiled in it. 
The cauliflower should boil a half-hour in a little salted water. 

CAEROTS. 
Carrots should be washed, scraped to get the skin and dirt 
off, and washed again, leaving them whole, excepting the top, 
which shoidd be cut off, and boiled two hours with meat ; for 
soups, slice them thin. Nice pies are made from carrots. 

CELERY. 
Its season is from August to April. A whole head is re- 
quired to give its flavor to a soup ; and the best way to use 
celery is to break off the brittle stems, wash them clean, and 
set them on the table in a glass. It is nicer so than in any 
other way, and may be eaten with salt or vinegar, or without 
either. The leaves may be tied in a bunch to flavor saups, 
and eaten as greens if wanted, after being cooked a half-hour. 

CORN. 
The corn used at the table is the sweet variety, and is best 
before it is ripe. It may be boiled with meat and other vege- 
tables, or put into hot salted water, and boiled thirty to sixty 
minutes, according to age ; but the younger, the better it is. 
When cold, cut it off the cob, warm it in cream salted a lit- 
tle, or in milk with a little butter added, and serve ; or prepare 
it in the same way for the table as soon as boiled sufficiently. 



TEE HOMEKEEPER. 63 

CORN AND BEANS. 

Cut the corn from the cobs, and boil it with shelled beans, 
each its proper time, and in equal quantities ; when done, put 
some butter, and salt if needed, in the pot, mix well, and 
serve. Boil the beans one and a half to two hours, and the 
corn thirty to sixty minutes. Potatoes may be pared and 
boiled with them ; and salt pork is usually cooked with them. 
Take out the pork and potatoes before preparing the succotash. 

Corn on the cob may be boiled in fresh water, tied together 
with twine, and hung in the sun to dry ; and, when perfectly 
dry, it should be put away for winter use. When stewing 
cranberry, red-eyed, or other beans, add an equal quantity of 
dried corn that has been soaked in cold water twenty-four 
hours, but only five or ten minutes before the beans are done. 
The corn should be cut from the cob after it is soaked, and 
before boiling with the beans and pork. When done, add but- 
ter, also salt if needed ; but the pepper should not be used. 

COEN. 

PARCHED. 

Sweet com, when ripe and dry, may be parched, although it 
will not pop hke the small variety called pop-corn. It is very 
good, however, and considered by some as wholesome for sick 
persons who can eat only a little food of other sorts. 

POPPED. 

Pop-corn should be kept dry; and, when wanted for food, put 
a handful of it in a • popper, and shake it over or on a hot 
stove till all are popped ; boil some molasses a few minutes, 
pour it over the corn, and form into cakes or balls. 

HULLED. 

Hulled corn is com with its hulls and skin removed by boiling 
in a pot of water containing a bag of wood-ashes, which 
makes lye of the water. Some persons who prepare it for 
sale use saleratus ; while others go so far as to use potash. 
Any one who has ever used potash in making soap knows its 



64 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

powerful effects on every thing with which it comes in contact ; 
for if a finger only touches it, and is not immediately washed, 
the sliin is removed at once. Pour water on a lump of potasli ; 
soak a piece of wood in it a short time, and the wood becomes 
soft. It combines with fat, and makes soap of it. Any one 
can see what a fine thing it is to take into the mouth, destroy- 
ing the teeth (sooner than any thing else will do it), and stomach 
(eating away the interior of it almost instantly). If any one 
supposes corn can be prepared by it, and the lye washed out 
afterwards, he must be stupid indeed. A few applications of it 
to the interior of his stomach will convince the most sceptical. 
Corn hulled by potash can be cheaper done than in any other 
way ; but it combines with the fat of the person eating it, and 
the result is a loss of flesh. If any one purchasing and eat- 
ing it will notice the results, he wiU. find a sore mouth, and 
burning in the stomach, immediate ones ; and the loss of teeth 
and flesh follow, if the use of it is repeated. The sale of it 
should be prohibited. 

COWSLIPS. 

Cowslips are ready to be picked soon after the first of April 
in this latitude, and are better before blossoming fully than 
after. All parts are good, and it is very little labor to prepare 
them to eat. Have ready a pot with a little boiling water in 
it ; put in some thin slices of salt pork an hour before dinner, 
some pared potatoes a half-hour before, and then wash the 
cowslips till clean ; drain, and put them in a cabbage-net ; but do 
not let them boil more than twenty minutes, as it would make 
them too soft and tasteless. If the pork does not salt them 
enough, add a little salt : they are very nice if not cooked too 
long. 

CUCUMBERS. 

Cucumbers should never be picked in the heat of the day, 
but early in the morning, when they are brittle and crispy ; and 
they should be kept so by being put immediately in cold 
water or on ice, and kept there till eaten. If kept long in 
vinegar, they become flabby and tough, and, in this condition, 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 65 

are indigestible ; but, if properly treated, are as wholesome as 
any other vegetable. Just before dinner, pare, and rinse them 
in cold water, laying them whole in a dish with ice ; and let 
each person suit him or her self in the seasoning. -It is. bad 
taste to season every one's food alike. Cucumbers, for some 
persons, are spoiled by contact with pepper and vinegar ; salt 
only being needed. The short thick varieties are best in this 
way ; and the long, slender ones for -pickles. 

DANDELIONS. 
These excellent greens are plentiful about the last of April 
and in May, when some persons imagine they need a spring 
medicine : here it is, and it gives one an excellent appetite. 
They are best before the blossom opens, as then they are brit- 
tle and tender, and do not require as much boiling as later in 
the season. It is some work to prepare them, especially when 
small ; but there is nothing more wholesome among all the 
articles of diet. Pick off all the grass and other things that 
cling to them ; wash them till the last water is clean ; drain, 
and boil them in a cabbage-net, putting them into boiling 
water with a piece of salt pork; cook them one hour if 
young and tender, but half an hour more if not. Pare and 
boil a few potatoes with them. 

DOCK. 

Leaves of the narrow dock are sometimes boiled with dan- 
delions, and are good. Burdock is one of the most valuable 
of medicinal herbs, being used for ear-ache, rheumatism, and 
other diseases ; and should be dried and saved for use each 
year. 

EGG-PLANT. 

The large purple variety is considered best for cooking. 
They should be picked before too ripe, or when hard. They 
are used in various ways ; the most common being to fry them. 
Pare, and cut them in slices of a half-inch thickness, and fry 
in hot pork-fat till both sides are light brown : this takes about 
fifteen minutes. Some like them dipped in egg and bread- 



66 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

crumbs before being fried. They are quite as good preserved 
as in any way. 

HOPS. 
The tops of hop-vines, or the ends of young shoots for 
about a quarter of a yard in length, are good greens, having 
a taste somewhat like asparagus. Boil about twenty minutes 
in a little salted water, butter them in the dish, and serve. 

HARSH RADISH. 

The leaves, when young and tender, are used for greens, and 
are good. Boil them an hour or more in a little water, and 
with a few slices of salt pork and a few pared potatoes. The 
root, when used, should be grated or ground fine, and a little 
vinegar added. 

LETTUCE. 

Separate and wash carefully the leaves, the inside being 
better than the outside ones ; lay them orderly in a dish as 
they grew, and serve, allowing each one to prepare for himself. 

MUSHROOM. 

Harris, in his work, " Insects Injurious to Vegetation," says, 
" The maggots of some flies live in mushrooms, toadstools," &c. ; 
evidently considering the former unfit for food for this and 
other reasons which he gives. It is sometimes difficult to dis- 
tinguish between the two ; and it is about as unsafe to eat one 
as the other. 

MUSTARD. 

The leaves of this plant are used for greens, and are very 
good as such. Boil them about an hour and a half with 
pork and potatoes. 

NASTURTIUM. 

The seeds of this plant are used for pickles, like capers, and 
by some considered equal to them. 

NETTLES. 
These are excellent as well as wholesome greens. Cut them 
off when youiig and tender with scissors, wash them with a 



THE BOMEKEEPER. 67 

long spoon, and boil fifteen or twenty minutes in a pot where 
a few slices of pork have been boiling a half-hour or more ; 
add some pared potatoes if wanted, as many persons who like 
greens like the potatoes boiled with them. 

ONION. 
This vegetable needs to be kept in a dry place where it will 
not freeze. Although there is no vegetable more wholesome 
than onions, yet they have so strong an odor that they are 
disagreeable to many persons, and should always, or nearly so, 
be cooked by themselves. It is slightly impolite to spoil one's 
dinner by putting an onion into nearly every dish on the table. 
Onions should never be put into cold nor soft water to cook. 
Have ready as little boiling water as will cover them when 
cooking, with a spoon of salt to a quart of water; cover close, 
and do not let them boil more than twenty minutes ; at the 
end of this time, take them into a dish, or the water will soak 
and spoil them ; add a little butter, salt if needed, and pepper 
if it is agreeable to all. They may be baked or roasted in a 
stove-oven, one hour, with the skins on ; then remove their 
skins, and prepare for the table same as boiled onions. 

PARSLEY. 
This is used to decorate meats and other dishes, and to sea- 
son soups, gravies, &c. 

PARSNIP. 
This vegetable needs to be boiled an hour : it is cooked 
with corned beef, pork, mutton, boiled fowls, or in soups. 

PEAS. 
Nearly every pea has a young weevil in it, too small to be 
seen by the eye alone ; but, if sown late in the season, they 
escape this pest. Peas, to be good, should be picked from the 
vines early in the morning of the day they are used : if kept 
long, their sweetness is lost, and no amount of sugar will make 
up the loss. Put them, when shelled, in a kettle with a little 
boiling water (or till it can be seen), a few slices of salt pork, 



68 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

and a few pared potatoes; boil tliem from thirty to sixty 
minutes, according to their age. Save all the juice, and dish 
with the peas, as it contains the best part of them ; add butter 
in the proportion of a piece as large as an egg, or more, to a 
quart of peas, and salt if more is needed. The pork should be 
boiled an hour or more. Putting the peas into boiling water 
preserves their green color. Dried and split peas are used for 
soups. 

PEPPERS. 
When green, they are used for pickles, and, after they turn 
red, are kept to season soups and other dishes. 

POTATOES. 
Many farmers, and especially those whose wives know how 
long a potato needs to be cooked, prefer the old long red vari- 
ety to any other, and always raise it for their own use, while 
they raise white ones to sell. Those who sell this vegetable 
say it is almost impossible to sell a red potato of any sort ; and 
probably the reason is, that it requires twice as long to cook 
most of them as it does a white potato : but it should be said 
of them, what farmers know to be true, that they are generally 
better, when cooked sufficiently, than white ones. One might 
suppose, after reading all that is written about not cooking 
potatoes, that, like bread, it is difficult, if not impossible, to 
cook them properly, when, in truth, it is a very simple matter 
to cook either. Eirst they should be washed clean : the water 
they are boiled in should be hard ; and, if not so, a spoon of 
salt to a quart of water should be used, and have as little water 
as will cook them with a close cover. Use an iron kettle, and 
make the water boil before the potatoes are put into it, as hot 
water hardens the skin, and prevents the nutriment from soak- 
ing out. A small crumb of lime hardens the water, and also 
hardens the skin- of the vegetable, so that it will not break, 
not lose its good qualities. A large piece of lime may be dis- 
solved in cold water, and kept any length of time to assist in 
cooking potatoes. When new ones are first used in summer, 
they are not fully ripe ; the skin is tender ; and they break 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 69 

before they are cooked enough, unless salt or lime is used. 
After they are ripe, they do not break before they are done; 
but the goodness remains in better to have the water 
hardened as before directed. A white potato requires cook- 
ing about half an hour (and by this is meant to boil every 
one of thirty minutes) ; and a red one, excepting the Dover, 
nearly or quite twice as long. When done, pour off the 
water, if any remains ; set the kettle, covered, on the stove, to 
dry them, from one to five minutes, according to the heat ; 
take them out, and serve. The greatest fault with most cooks 
is, not cooking them long enough : they are taken up hard, 
chipped all over with an awkward knife to peel them, and, 
after they are nearly cold, are carried to the table. It would 
be far preferable to have them sent to the table with their 
dark coats on than to have them appear as if the kitten peeled 
them, as they often do. Old potatoes have not much nutri- 
ment left in them, and it is best to preserve what they have : 
they are better if not boiled as long as in midwinter, and may 
be a little hard without being indigestible. Pare, and put them 
into boiling, salted water ; and, as soon as they begin to be soft, 
pour off the water, and dry them a minute or two. When 
boiled with corned beef, whether new or old, they are improved 
by cutting off the stem end a little. 

Potatoes may be pared and baked, or not pared, but need 
a great deal of washing if not : allow a half-hour to bake them 
on the oven-grate, or an hour on the oven-bottom. Some half- 
boil, and then bake them. 

Cold potatoes are very nice when chopped, and boiled a few 
minutes in a little cream or milk, and salted ; stir all the time 
to prevent burning. They should always be peeled before 
getting cold. 

None are so good fried as the long-red variety, although all 
are good enough. Fry several slices of fat salt pork till crisp ; 
take them out ; halve the cold boiled potatoes, and fry on both 
sides till light brown. The fat must be hot, and the frying 
done quickly : a little salt may be needed. 

To fry raw ones, wash, pare, and slice them thin ; fry sev- 



70 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

eral slices of fat salt pork till crisp ; take them out, and fry the 
sliced potatoes in the hot fat, which will take nearly or quite 
a half-hour. Where they touch the frying-pan they will brown, 
and must be stirred often, or they will burn if the fire is hot. 
If not wanted crusty, put in a little water, cover them, and 
they will be soft, and very good. 

Freezing does not injure them any, whether raw or cooked, 
if they are cooked, or cooked again, before being thawed ; but it 
rather improves some kinds. If raw, wash them in cold water, 
and put them over the fire in cold water ; but, if boiled, cut 
them in halves, and fry in very hot pork-fat. 

When potatoes are boiled, and dinner has to wait, it is a good 
way to mash them, and put in the oven to keep warm. As soon 
as they are boiled soft, peel, and put them in a clean kettle 
that will hold twice as many ; pound and mash them with a 
large wooden pestle till all are mashed fine. To a large quart 
of potato add a teaspoon of salt, a half-cup or more of cream, 
or, if cream is not to be had, use milk and a small piece of but- 
ter. Dish them, smooth the top, and leave in the oven till 
wanted. 

Sweet-potatoes need to boil nearly an hour in salted hot 
water : they are also good fried in pork-fat when left cold. 

PUMPKINS. 
These are used same as squashes, and, like them, may be 
dried, and kept for use in winter ; but it requires longer to cook 
them. 

RADISHES. 
"The young leaves are sometimes used in salads. The 
Black Spanish and the winter varieties can be buried in dry 
sand for the winter's use, and, in fact, can be kept until the 
new radishes are in the markets." 

EHUBARB. 

This is used for pies, puddings, preserves, and jelly ; but the 
leaves are not fit for use. A cordial may be made from it 
which is a cure for diarrhoea. 



THE EOMEKEEPER. 71 

SOEREL. 

This is used to remove stains from linen and cotton. 

SPINACH. 
Spinach is very nice if not boiled too long. Pick it to pieces, 
that it may be thoroughly washed in cold water till the last 
water is clean, as it is gritty if not washed enough. Use a 
very little boiling water, with a spoon of salt to a peck of the 
greens ; or boil some slices of salt pork nearly an hour in the 
water ; then put in the spinach, and let it boil only twenty min- 
utes. Potatoes can be pared and boiled in the same kettle, if 
wanted. - 

SQUASH. 
This vegetable should be kept in a dry, cool place, but where 
it is not cold enough to freeze. It is nice with almost any 
kind of meat. The skin and seeds of summer-squashes are 
eaten with the rest ; but they should be picked when small and 
tender. Boil them with meat and other vegetables, or in a 
little salted water, three-fourths to one hour ; press out the 
water ; add a little butter and salt, and pepper if wanted. Re- 
move the skin and seeds of winter-squash, and boil from thirty 
to sixty minutes, according to its thickness. Dried squash is 
better than green for pies : so, if they will not keep through 
the winter, there need be no loss of them. After they are 
cooked soft, spread them on plates to dry ; and, when wanted 
for use, soak them in milk till soft ; sift, and use them same as 
green squash. 

TOMATOES. 
These can be raised in firkins, if watered when dry ; and, 
when frost comes, they may be carried . into a cellar or some 
other shelter, and kept fresh a long time. Green ones turn red 
if kept in the house after being picked. There are various 
ways of using them ; one being to remove the skins by pouring 
boiling water on them to remain just one minute, then peeling, 
and serving raw for each person to season as agreeable. 
Another way is, after they are peeled, to stew them about fif- 



72 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

teen miimtes, and serve with, butter, salt, and pepper ; or, be- 
fore seasoning, to run tliem tlirougb a sifter, then warm and 
season. Some persons prefer them cooked several hours ; but 
it is doubtful if they are improved by so long cooking, even if 
not burned, which would be likely to happen. Sometimes 
they are baked, being covered with bread-crumbs. They are 
also used as pickles, preserves, sweet pickles, and figs. 

TURNIPS. 
Turnips should boil with meat and other vegetables from 
two to two and a half hours ; but if very small, or sliced in soups, 
will boil suflSciently in an hour and a half. They will not 
remain good long, unless packed in sand ; and, to prevent their 
growing even then, some farmers pack them tops downward. 

BREAD. 

Every woman ought to know how to make good bread ; and 
there is no reason why she cannot do it. If we believe all 
that is written on the subject, we must come to the con- 
clusion that it is indeed one of the " lost arts." But, after 
one knows how, nothing is plainer or easier. The first thing 
to do is, if there is any saleratus, that abomination of the 
household, or cream-of-tartar, its companion in guilt, or any 
other drug used in bread, in the house, to throw each and all 
of them out of doors. 

Too much cannot be said against using saleratus in food. 
It is a poison, and nothing less ; and yet it is almost impossible 
to find a recipe for cooking any thing from grain without a tea- 
spoon of soda, as it is called. The use of it is a mistaken econ- 
omy ; for it destroys those who eat it. No one would think 
of eating potash ; and yet saleratus is very little better. It 
destroys the health, and shows its effects in the faces of those 
who eat food containing it. It makes the person lean, the face 
yellow or dark and wrinkled : in fact, it does more than any 
other thing to destroy human beauty, unless dress be excepted. 
Probably it is the cause of dyspepsia by neutralizing the di- 
gestive power. 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 73 

Begin bread-making by first making some yeast, as this is 
the most important part. It is of no use to depend on bakers' 
yeast, as it is usually sour. Some good woman in each village 
or neighborhood should make the yeast, in a neat manner, for 
> all the families who choose to eat good bread ^ and, if she finds 
also a market for good bread, she might earn a living in that 
way, — as good and useful as any other. Good bread depends 
mostly on having good and new yeast ; and, if it is made by 
one for all her neighbors, it will be made daily, and cannot 
help being good : hence our daily bread will be good. 

Use a porcelain-lined or a tin kettle, holding a gallon, or 
nearly that. Wash, pare, and rinse eight large or medium po- 
tatoes, and put in the kettle with a small handful of hops tied 
in a small bag kept for this use, and one to two quarts of cold 
water ; let all boil till the potatoes are very soft, and then sift 
through a tin sieve. Wet six large spoons of sifted flour, and 
two of salt, in a little cold water, and put with it, together with 
a cup of good yeast, or a few cakes'of dry yeast dissolved in 
warm water. Put back in the kettle, and fill it up, having the 
temperature warm, but not hot. Cover it close ; and, in winter, 
set it in a warm place to rise. The mantel back of the cook- 
stove is warm enough in winter ; and it will rise in a pantry in 
summer. When it is covered with foam, put it in a gallon jug ; 
and, if the cork is not very tight after the first few hours, its 
strength is gone, and 'the bread will be heavy. A new cork'is 
needed occasionally ; and the jug must be kept where its con- 
tents will not freeze in winter, nor sour in summer. A week 
is time enough to keep it; and the oftener it is made, the 
better it is. Some put a large spoon of sugar to a gallon of 
yeast ; but it is preserved better without it in warm weather. 
A refrigerator is a good place to keep it sweet in summer ; and 
the jug should be shaken thoroughly each time before using 
the yeast. 

Sometimes the yeast runs low before one is aware of it, or 
there is more work than usual to be done ; and, in this case, it 
is convenient to have dry yeast with which to start the other. 
Boil a handful of hops in a bag with a quart of water, which is 



74 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

cold at first ; press the bag dry, and mix flour with the juice 
till it is as thick as griddle-batter ; add a cup of yeast, letting 
it rise till light and spongy ; and mix corn-meal with it till 
thick enough to mould; then mould the dough, cut it in squares 
of two inches each, and dry them out of doors if the weather 
will allow. Turn them often till dry, and pack them from the 
air. 

Good flour is generally cheapest, as there is very little nutri- 
ment in old, poor flour ; and it requires more time to cook it 
that it may be even eatable. Good flour is of a delicate, 
creamy color ; appears oily ; and forms a lump or ball when 
taken in the hand, pressed, and thrown down again ; and also 
feels much softer than poor flour. It is safest to buy it of one 
man ; and, whenever it proves to be bad, let him take it away : 
after a few trials, none but good flour would be sent. It should 
always be sifted before being used. 

To make bread, mix one cup of yeast with two cups of 
warm but not boiling water, and flour sufficient to mould, if 
the yeast is new ; but, if old, use half yeast and half water. 
It is ruinous to bread to mould it twice, as many persons do : 
after it is raised ready to bake, they knock it to pieces, and 
mould it over again ; and, by the time it is raised again, it is 
sour, and unfit for food. Not only is much labor lost, but 
good food is spoiled; and the stomach suffers in consequence. 
Five to ten minutes are enough to mould any loaf of bread ; 
it should then be set to rise. in a warm but not hot place, and, 
when raised sufficiently, baked by a good fire. It should be 
thoroughly cooked through, but not baked too hard. Short- 
ening does not improve bread. The quantity given here will 
rise sufficiently to fill an iron kettle six and a half inches 
diameter at the base, nine at the top, and six inches in height ; 
and will require an hour or a half more to bake, according to 
the fire. Bread is best baked in iron or tin. If mixed at 
night, in summer, cold water should be used, and the bread 
should be baked in the morning. In very cold weather, a 
large quantity may be mixed and raised at once, if kept in a 
cold place afterwards : it may then be cut off, and baked as 



THE EOMEKEEPER. 75 

wanted. If one happens to liave a disabled hand, so that it is 
inconvenient to mould bread, it will do very well without it, 
if all the flour is stirred in that it is possible to get in. 

Bread may be made of dry yeast ; but it is not as good as 
when made of liquid yeast. Dissolve a cup of broken cakes 
in warm water enough to fill the cup, adding another cup of 
warm water, and flour sufficient to mould it ; then mould, raise, 
and bake it. All bread, after it is cold, should be kept in a 
tight tin pail or bos, and the cover kept on, as this keeps it 
moist ; and there is no excuse for throwing it away, as many 
people do. In winter, warm the yeast and milk together if 
milk is used, but do not let therii get too hot. 

BISCUITS. 

Nice biscuits are made of the bread-dough. In summer, 
mix it at night with cold water or milk ; and, in winter, use 
warm water or milk, and set it in a warm place to rise. In 
the morning, cut it in small pieces, rolling each as lightly as 
possible into a round biscuit, with a little flour on the hands, 
and bake immediately in a hot oven till light brown on the 
top and bottom ; and, to do this, bake them ten to fifteen min- 
utes on the bottom of the stove-oven, and the same length of 
time on the grate. 

Cream-biscuits may be made of one cup of yeast, half a cup 
of cream, half a cup of water, a large spoon of sugar, and 
flour enough to mould them ; then raise and bake them. Or 
mix sweet cream and new yeast in equal quantities, with flour 
to mould, and raise and bake them. 

Egg-biscuits are made by mixing a beaten egg and a piece 
of butter the size of an egg with a little flour, and adding a 
cup of yeast, a cup of water, and flour sufficient to mould : 
raise them, and, when light, form into biscuits, and bake. 

Cold biscuits may be made very good by wetting in cold 
water, and warming them in a hot oven. Some persons like 
them steamed. 

BROWN-BEE AD. 

This, when baked in a brick oven, is much better than if 



76 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

baked in a stove, as the crust does not bake too hard before 
the inside is done. It is well to cover the kettle or pan, which 
should be a deep iron one, while baking. Some persons steam 
brown-bread to cook it, instead of baking it ; but it requires a 
longer time, and is not as good. If baked on Saturday, and 
steamed Sunday for breakfast, it is very nice. All brown- 
bread should be made with yeast. In summer, it should be 
mixed with cold water, and left in a place not too warm, five 
or six hours, to rise. In winter, warm water or milk should be 
used ; and it should be set in a warm place to rise all night, 
and till the oven is ready to receive it. When it is not con- 
venient to bake bread as soon as it is raised sufficiently, set it 
in a cold place till ready. 

NUMBER ONE. 

One cup of yeast, two cups of water, two cups of corn-meal, 
and three of rye-meal. Mix thoroughly ; set to rise ; and bake 
an hour, or an hour and a half 

NUMBER TWO. 

One cup of yeast, two of water, half a cup of molasses, 
three cups each of corn and rye meal, and bake an hour and a 
half. 

NUMBER THREE. 

One cup of yeast, two cups of milk, half a cup of molasses, 
three cups of corn-meal, and four cups of rye-meal. Bake an 
hour and a half. 

NUMBER FOUR. 

Two cups of yeast, four of water, one quart of corn-meal, 
and three pints of rye-meal. Bake two hours. 

a 

NUMBER FIVE. 

Two cups of yeast, five of water, one cup of molasses, three 
pints of corn-meal, and two quarts of rye-meal. Bake two 
hours and a hal£ 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 77 

NUMBER SIX. 

One pint of yeast, tliree pints of water, three pints of corn- 
meal, and three quarts of rye-meal. Bake three hours. 

NUMBER SEVEN. 

One cup of yeast, two of water, a half-cup of sugar, two 
cups of corn-meal, three of rye-meal, and one cup of flour. 
Bake an hour and a half. 

COEN-BEEAD. 
Corn-hread should be mixed, and left to rise, in a deep dish 
or tin pail, and baked in a shallow iron pan, or in muffin- 
rings. For directions about water, and time of rising, see 
" Brown-Bread." Numbers one, two, and three need no raising, 
and are useful recipes in an emergency. Bake each till the 
crust is brown, but not burned. 

NUMBER ONE. 

This is the primitive Johnny-cake of our ancestors, and was 
baked on the centre-piece of a flour barrel-head, before the 
open fire, with a flat-iron to support it. A quart of corn-meal, 
a teaspoon of salt, and boiling water sufficient to wet all the 
meal. Wet the hands, and press the dough smooth over the 
top in the pan, and bake. 

NUMBER TWO. 

Scald a small quart of milk, and pour it on to a pint and 
a fourth of corn-meal. Beat two eggs, and put with it; 
also a saltspoon of salt. Mix thoroughly, and bake forty to 
sixty minutes. 

NUMBER THREE. 

Beat two eggs, and mix with a saltspoon of salt, a large 
spoon of sugar, a small pint of milk, a small pint and a 
half of meal, and a half-pint of flour. Bake one hour in a 
small deep pan, or thirty to forty minutes in a large shallow 
one, as less or more crust is wanted. 



78 TEE HOMEEEEPER. 

NUMBER FOUR. 

One cup of yeast, one of water, a large spoon of molasses, 
two cups and a half of corn-meal, and one cup of flour. Eaise 
and bake. 

NUMBER FIVE. 

One cup of yeast, tlie same of water, a half-cup of molasses, 
two cups of corn-meal, and a cup and a half of flour. Eaise, 
and bake about forty minutes. 

NUMBER SIX. 

A half-cup of yeast, one cup of water, two large spoons of 
sugar, a cup and a half of corn-meal, and the same of flour. 
Eaise, and bake about thirty minutes. 

NUMBER SEVEN. 

One cup of yeast, the same of milk, a half-cup of sugar, two 
cups of corn-meal, and a cup and a half of flour. 

NUMBER EIGHT. 

One egg, one cup of yeast, a cup of milk, and three cups of 
corn-meal. Mix well, raise, and bake. 

NUMBER NINE. 

Beat one egg, and mix with a large spoon of sugar, one cup 
of yeast, one of water, two cups of corn-meal, and a cup and a 
half of flour. Eaise, and bake in a pan or on a griddle. 

NUMBER TEN. 

Beat an egg, and mix with a large spoon of sugar, a cup of 
yeast, the same of milk, two cups of corn-meal, and a cup of 
flour. 

GRAHAM BEE AD. 
The rules for raising and baking brown-bread will apply, to 
this ; but, in addition, it should be moulded slightly. 



1 



TEE HOMEKEEPER. 79 

NUMBER ONE. 

One cup of yeast, two cups of water, a half-cup of molasses, 
and seven cups of Graliam flour. This makes a bread coarse, 
but good. Eaise, and bake one hour. 

NUMBER TWO. 

One cup of yeast, two cups of water, one cup of molasses, 
four cups of Graham flour, and five cups of fine flour. Raise, 
and bake an hour. 

NUMBER THREE. 

A cup and a half of yeast, the same of water, a half-cup 
of molasses, two cups of rye-meal, and flour enough to mould 
it. Raise, and bake an hour or more. 

NUMBER FOUR. 

A cup and a half of yeast, the same of water, a half-cup 
of sugar, two cups of Graham flour, and fine flour sufficient to 
mould it. Eaise, and bake one hour. 

EOLLS. 
Make like biscuits ; roll as large as a saucer ; fold together 
once, and bake quickly. 

CAKE. 

Cake cannot be made good without considerable labor, or 
power of some kind ; and, where it is made in large quantities 
to sell, it would pay to employ mechanical power. It must be 
raised, or made light, to be wholesome, either with eggs beaten 
fine, or with yeast. There are many kinds of cheap cake 
made by the aid of saleratus ; but no one should insult his or 
her stomach by eating them. Sour milk or cream are not fit 
to be used in making cake. For all kinds of cake, swab the 
iron baking-pan with fat ; turn it upside down ; cut a clean 
piece of brown paper to fit the bottom of it, and put it into the 
pan ; then swab the paper, and the pan is ready to receive the 
cake-dough. When baked, and nearly cold, turn it over, take 
off the pan, turn the paper over, and put it back in the pan ; 



80 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

then put the cake back, keeping it there till used, or keep it 
in a covered tin box. 

In making all kinds of cake, a round, deep wooden bowl is 
most convenient ; but, to be durable, it should have clean brine 
soaking in it some time before being used. First beat the 
butter and sugar together with an iron spoon when they are 
used ; then beat the eggs separately if any are used, and then 
all three together; next add the spice and the flour, which 
should always be sifted to remove lumps ; and, after all these 
are thoroughly beaten together, add a little flour to the fruit, 
if there is any, to equal the additional moisture the fruit 
affords ; stir a little, and bake. A variety may be produced by 
using different kinds of spice, or flavor; but, if much liquid is 
added, a little flour must also be added. Rose-water is nice as 
a flavor in cake and many other things. Too much spice is a 
common fault in cooking, as a little is much better than much. 

FROSTING. 

Break a small aperture in one end of an egg, by which the 
white part will run out ; and to this add a cup of white sugar 
and a large spoon of corn-starch ; stir all together, and, five 
minutes after the cake has been taken from the oven, lay on 
the frosting : this is sufficient for a small loaf of cake. 

Or mix the white of an egg with half a cup of sugar and 
half a cup of corn-starch. 

COCOANUT-CAKES. 

When purchasing cocoanuts, shake them ; and, if no milk can 
be heard, most likely the nut is sour and worthless. The bark 
should be cut from the fruit, after opening, with a shoe-knife. 
For the cakes, use a cup, pressed down, of grated cocoanut, 
two large spoons of sugar, and the white of two eggs, or just 
enough to mix it. Make this into small cakes, or drops, and 
bake on a buttered paper twenty to thirty minutes, according 
to the heat of the oven. 

FRUIT-CAKE. 

Beat a half-cup of butter with a cup of sugar, and, when soft 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 81 

and well mixed, add three cups of bread-dough made as 
directed in raised cake, not moulded, but light ; and mix all 
together thoroughly with a little grated nutmeg and a half- 
teaspoon of ground cloves ; chop and flour two cups of raisins ; 
mix, and let it rise till light, which will take a few hours in 
summer, and all night in winter. E-aised cake should be left 
in a very deep tin to rise, and be baked in a shallow pan, 
disturbing it as little as possible when poured out. 

NUMBER TWO. 

Two beaten eggs, one cup of sugar, a teaspoon of salt, half a 
teaspoon each of allspice and cinnamon, two-thirds of a cup of 
sweet cream, one-third of a cup of yeast, three cups of flour, 
and two cups of washed and chopped figs. Raise and bake. 

NUMBER THREE. 

Beat three eggs separately, and with a cup of sugar; then 
warm a cup of sweet cream with a cup of yeast, and mix all 
together, adding a teaspoon of salt, a pinch each of ground 
cloves, allspice, and cinnamon, the grated rind of half a lemon, 
six cups of flour, and two cups of raisins, with a large spoon of 
flour on them. Raise, and bake like number one. This is 
enough for two loaves. 

NUMBER FOUR. 

A small loaf may be made as follows : Beat one-fourth of a 
pound (or about a half-cup) of butter and a half-pound (or one 
cup) of sugar to a cream; beat three small eggs separately, 
then all together ; add a cup and a half of sifted flour, a half- 
teaspoon of ground cloves, half a nutmeg, half a pound of 
seeded raisins, the same of dried currants (washed till the last 
water is clean, and dried), and a fourth of a pound of sliced 
citron. Mix the fruit, put it in the cake, and stir till even ; 
then bake it three-fourths of an hour in a shallow pan. 

NUMBER FIVE. 

One pound (or two cups) of butter, one pound (or two cups) of 
sugar, one pound of eggs (which is usually eight large, or ten 



82 THE HOMEEEEPER. 

small ones), one pound of flour (wliich is a small, or milk, quart 
just sifted), one nutmeg, a spoon of ground cloves, the grated 
rind of one lemon, two pounds of seedless or seeded raisins 
chopped, two pounds of cleaned dried currants, and a pound of 
sliced citron ; mix the fruit with a cup of flour, and add to the 
cake. This makes two large loaves, which may he frosted, after 
baking from an hour and a half to two hours. 

NUMBER SIX. 

One cup of butter, one of sugar, four large or five small 
eggs, two cups of flour, the grated rind of one lemon, half a 
teaspoon of ground cloves, and half a nutmeg. Wash, and 
chop one cup of figs, one of dates, with the stones removed 
after being washed ; wash and dry two cups of dried currants ; 
slice a cup of citron, mixing three spoons of flour with the 
fruit. Mix all together, and bake in a shallow pan about an 
hour. 

NUMBER SEVEN. 

Four beaten eggs, a cup of sugar, a half-cup of sweet cream, 
two cups and a half of flour, and a fourth of a pound of sliced 
citron. Spice may be added if wanted. Bake from three-fourths 
of an hour to an hour. 

NUMBER EIGHT. 

One cup of butter, two of sugar, four large or five small 
eggs, three cups of flour, the grated rind of one lemon, a half- 
teaspoon each of ground cloves, allspice, and cinnamon, half a 
nutmeg, one pound of stoned and chopped raisins, a pound of 
dried currants, and a half-pound of sliced citron. 

NUMBER NINE. 

Three beaten eggs, a cup of sugar, a cup of sweet cream, 
three cups of flour, half a teaspoon of salt, a saltspoon each 
of cloves and allspice, a little grated nutmeg, three cups of 
chopped raisins, and a cup of sliced citron. 

NUMBER TEN. 

One cup of butter, two of sugar, four large eggs (well beaten), 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 83 

one-third of a cup of molasses, the grated rind of a lemon, 
half a nutmeg, half a teaspoon each of allspice, cloves, and 
cinnamon, four cups and a half of flour, a pound of raisins, 
the same of dried currants, and a half-pound of citron. 

PLAIN CAKE. 
Four beaten eggs, a cup of sugar, a half-cup of cream, a 
teaspoon of grated lemon-rind, a half-teaspoon of salt, and two 
cups and a half of flour. 

NUMBER TWO. 

A half-cup of butter, a cup of sugar, three eggs, two cups 
of flour, and spice if wanted. 

NUMBEK THREE. 

Three-fourths of a cup of butter, a cup and a fourth of sugar, 
four eggs, three cups of flour, and spice or flavoring if wanted. 

NUMBER FOUR. 

Half a cup of butter, one cup of sugar, six beaten eggs, the 
grated rind of one lemon, half a teaspoon each of cloves, all- 
spice, and cinnamon, and two cups and a half of flour. 

NUMBER FIVE. 

Three eggs, one cup of sugar, and a saltspoon of salt ; warm 
one cup of sweet cream with a cup of yeast till milkwarm ; 
add the other things, and six cups of flour. Add spice if 
wanted ; raise till light, and bake. 

POEK-CAKE. 
Beat three eggs separately, and with a cup and a fourth of 
sugar ; then wash and chop fine a cup of fat salt pork, and 
mix all with a third of a cup of molasses, a half-teaspoon 
each of allspice or cloves, and cinnamon, or other spice, two 
cups of flour, and two of chopped raisins. Bake one hour in a 
shallow pan. 

POUND-CAKE. 
One pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour, makes a 



84 THE HOMEEEEPER. 

very nice plain cake, sufficient for one large or two small 
loaves. 

One-half the quantity may be made ; and it may be meas- 
ured in cups, to save the labor of weighing each time, as fol- 
lows : one cup of butter, one of granulated sugar, four large 
or five small eggs, and two cups of sifted flour. It is good 
enough without spice ; but a teaspoon of grated lemon-rind 
makes a change, as does also a half-pound of sliced citron, or 
a few ripe peaches sliced into it. A pound of stoned dates 
makes it good, if persons like very sweet cake. 

KAISED CAKE. 
Dough with which to make raised cake may be made of 
two cups of yeast, four of water, and three and a half small 
quarts of flour : let it rise till spongy in a warm place. For 
cake, mix a half-cup of butter with one cup of sugar, three 
cups of raised dough made as above directed, and beat till all 
are well mixed, allowing it to rise afterwards the same as 
bread. This is a good, wholesome cake for children ; and spice 
may be added if wanted. 

SPONGE-CAKE. 
This must be beaten a great deal to make it light. Three 
small eggs, a cup of sugar, one cup of flour, a saltspoon of 
salt, and bake it about a half-hour. 

NUMBER TWO. 

Four large or five small eggs, one cup of sugar, two cups of 
flour, and the grated rind of one lemon. 

WEDDING-CAKE. 
This is made from the recipes for fruit cake, numbers four, 
five, eight, and ten. 

COOKIES. 

One cup of molasses, one cup of lard or butter, a saltspoon 
each of ginger and salt, and flour sufficient to roll out very 
soft. Cut very small, and bake quickly. 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 85 

NUMBER TWO. 

One cup of lard or butter, a cup and a half of sugar, one cup 
of cold water, half a teaspoon of salt, a little grated nutmeg, 
and flour sufficient to roll out soft. 

CROQUETTES. 

These are eaten warm with meat ; and this is a convenient 
way of using cold boiled rice. Stir an egg into a half-pint 
of cold boiled rice ; add flour enough to hold all together, which 
will be about three large spoons, and make it into small round 
cakes about two inches diameter; flatten them, using flour 
to prevent their sticking to the hands ; and fry them in a little 
hot lard or pork-fat till browned on both sides by being turned 
once. 

NUMBER TWO. 

One cup of cold oatmeal-pudding (number one), mixed with 
one egg (not beaten), and flour sufficient to make them stiff. 
Fry the same as the others. 

CRULLERS. 

To make them light, it is necessary to beat the eggs first, 
and then the dough, a great deal, and, in frying, to keep the 
fat very hot, and at an equal temperature, by dropping in one 
as often as another is taken out. Beat four eggs ; add a half- 
pound or one cup of sugar, a piece of butter the size of an 
egg, a half-cup of milk or cream, a saltspoon of cinnamon, and 
flour enough to mould and roll out. Roll ; cut in squares or 
any other shape, cutting slits in some of them, as they fry 
quicker so ; and boil in lard like doughnuts. They are best 
when new, but will keep a long time covered in tin. 

One plateful may be made in the following way : one egg, 
one large spoon of sugar, one even spoon of melted lard or 
butter, and flour sufficient to roll out. 

DOUGHNUTS. 

Mix one large spoon of cold lard into three pints of sifted 
flour, and add a cup of yeast, one cup of water, and one cup of 



86 TEE nOMEEEEPER. 

sugar ; mould this, and put it into a tin pail, in a warm place if 
the weather is cold, letting it rise all night. If the dough is 
rolled out, it must 'he done very lightly ; hut it is just as well 
to cut off small pieces, and fry in hot fat, without removing it 
from the pail, as the doughnuts will be lighter done in this 
way. 

NUMBEK TWO. 

Mix one spoon of cold lard or butter into three pints of 
flour, adding a cup of yeast, one of sweet milk, a cup and a 
half of sugar, half a nutmeg, and flour sufficient to mould. 
Let it rise ; and fry in hot fat. 

GINGERBREAD. 

Mix a piece of butter the size of an egg with three and a 
half or four cups of flour ; add a cup of yeast, a cup of molasses, 
and a teaspoon or less of ginger. Eaise till light, and bake. 

NUMBER TWO. 

Mix one spoon of lard with seven cups of flour; add one cup 
of yeast, one of water, one of maple-sap, and a teaspoon of 
ginger. Raise, and bake. about an hour. 

NUMBER THREE. 

Mix one large spoon of lard or butter with three cups and a 
half of flour ; add a cup of yeast, one of sugar, a little ginger 
or other spice. Eaise and bake. 

GRIDDLE-CAKES. 

These cakes, to be wholesome, should be made light, and 
fried quickly over a good fire ; being eaten for breakfast instead 
of supper. 

BREAD-CRUMB. 

One cup of light bread-crumbs which have staked in a cup 
of milk a few hours, one beaten egg, and a cup and a half 
of flour. Be§it thoroughly, and bake on a griddle. Sugar and 
butter are served with them. 



THE nOMEKEEPER. 87 

BUCKWHEAT. 

Buckwheat is the cheapest and most nutritious grain that is 
used, unless the oat is its equal. It swells when mixed, and 
takes in twice the amount of water that flour does. It makes 
a more substantial breakfast in winter than any other one arti- 
cle used. Corn-meal and rye-meal are sometimes mixed with 
it ; but neither is any improvement on the real article. At the 
coldest season of the year, which usually comes just after the 
shortest days, a large quantity may be mixed at one time in a 
butt-er-firkin or stone pot, and, if made with new, warm yeast, 
will rise very quickly ; then set it in a cold pantry, and it is 
ready for use at any time. It does not need saleratus any 
more than it does any other poison ; but, if the last becomes 
sour, it is best to throw it away. 

Por a small quantity, mix in a deep pitcher one cup of 
yeast, three cups of warm water, one large spoon of molasses, 
and three cups and a half of buckwheat-flour. Let it rise over 
night, or longer if the weather is very cold, or the yeast is old. 

Or, in general, use one large spoon of molasses to each quart 
of liquid to give the cakes a good color, and seven-eighths as 
much flour as liquid, or a little more flour if needed. Set it 
in a deep dish in a moderately warm place, and let the batter 
rise till light and foamy. Bake quickly, on a hot griddle or 
frying-pan that has been swabbed with fat, till the cakes are 
light brown on both sides by being turned over once. Then 
butter and sugar each, and keep in a pile for those who like 
them so ; or send to table as fast as cooked. If dried and 
cooled, they are not very inviting. Maple-sap is good on 
them. Made in this way, they are much better, as well as 
more wholesome, than made with the aid of saleratus. In win- 
ter, they need to rise nearly twenty-four hours in a place mod- 
erately warm. 

CORN-MEAL. 

Nearly all the recipes for corn-bread, especially those from 
number four to number ten inclusive, ai:e equally good for 
making griddle-cakes. If found to be too thick, add a very lit- 
tle cold water. 



• 



88 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

FLOUR. 
One cup of yeast, a cup and a half of milk, and three 
cups of flour. Let it rise till light, and bake on a griddle. Or 
boiled green corn may be cut from the ear, and mixed in it 
before baking ; or berries or fruit, if preferred. 

HUCKLEBERRY. 
One beaten egg, one spoon of flour, a saltspoon of salt, one 
spoon of milk, and two spoons of huckleberries. Fry in a very 
little fat, and serve with sugar. 

NUMBER TWO. 

Half a cup of yeast, the same of milk, a cup and a half 
of flour, and two cups of berries. Let them rise till light, and 
bake them on a griddle. 

RICE. 

One beaten e.gg, a cup and a half of boiled rice, a half- 
cup of yeast, the same of water, and two cups of flour. Let it 
rise all night, or till sufficiently light. Bake, and serve with 
butter, sugar, and grated nutmeg. 

RYE. 

One egg (well beaten), half a cup of yeast, three-fourths of a 
cup of water, one spoon of molasses, and one cup of rye-meal. 
Raise till light, and bake. 

TAPIOCA. 

One cup of cold boiled tapioca, one of yeast, one of water, 
and two of flour. Mix well, allowing a few hours for it to rise, 
and bake on a griddle. 

MUFFINS. 

Mix a cup of yeast and two cups of water with six cups of 
flour. Let it rise all night, and bake in muffin-rings, which 
should be swabbed with fat each time they are used. 

NUMBER TWO. 

Beat one egg, and mix with a half-cup of yeast, the same 



THE EOMEKEEPER. 89 

of milk, and three cups of flour. Let it rise all night, and bake 
either in rings in the oven-pan or on a griddle. 

OMELETS. 

Three beaten eggs, three large spoons of milk, three large 
spoons of flour, and a saltspoon of salt. Beat till light, and fry- 
in a little hot fat by dropping in a spoonful at a time. Serve 
as fast as cooked. They are good with or without sugar. 

NUMBER TWO. 

Eour beaten eggs, three large spoons of milk, a saltspoon of 
salt, and five large spoons of flour. Beat thoroughly, and fry 
in a little hot fat. 

PANCAKES. 

One beaten e^^, half a cup of yeast, a cup of sweet milk, 
half a cup of molasses, two cups of corn-meal, and two cups 
of rye-meal or buckwheat-flour. Let this rise all night, and 
fry like doughnuts. 

POVERTY- CAKES. 

A quart of corn-meal, a teaspoon of salt, and boiling water 
enough to mix it. Make it into round, flat cakes, and fry in 
hot fat, like doughnuts. 

TOAST. 
•Our grandmothers used to make excellent toast by setting 
half a large loaf of brown-bread before the open fire on the 
tongs laid down to receive it ; and, when it was nicely toasted, 
it was peeled, or cut off thin, and buttered ; and, as if this were 
not good enough, it was sometimes made into a milk toast. 

It may be toasted somewhat in the same way by laying a 
half-loaf on a grate over the coals, and cutting it off thin. 

NUMBER TWO. 

Put a quart of brown-bread crusts into a frying-pan ; add a 
spoon of molasses, a teaspoon of salt, and nearly cover them 
with water. When boiled a few minutes, or till nearly soft, 
add one cup of milk or cream j boil two minutes longer, stirring 



90 THE HOMEKEEPEE. 

to prevent burning ; dish, and lay on some small pieces of but- 
ter, unless cream was used. 

NUMBEK THREE. 

Dry toast is made by toasting both sides of a thin slice of 
white-bread, and buttering it as soon as it leaves the fire. It 
should be eaten immediately. 

NUMBER FOUR, 

For dry crusts of white-bread toasted, take a pint and a half 
of boiling water ; add one-fourth of a cup of butter, and a little 
salt if needed. Put the dry toast in this ; let it remain a few 
minutes, and serve. 

NUMBER FIVE. 

This is made like number four, with the addition of a large 
spoon of flour wet and boiled in, and a little more butter. 

NUMBER SIX. 

Put into a frying-pan a piece of butter the size of an egg ; 
and, when it has oiled the pan a little to prevent the toast ad- 
hering to it, add three cups of milk, one cup of hot water, and 
a saltspoon of salt. It should be stirred to prevent burning ; 
and, as soon as it boils, stir in two large spoons of flour wet in 
a half-cup of milk, and let it boil two minutes, stirring contiR- 
ually. Lay in some slices of toasted white or corn bread, and 
in a few minutes serve. 

NUMBER SEVEN. 

A piece of butter the size of a walnut, one cup of milk, the 
same of cream, a half-teaspoon of salt, a large spoon of flour 
wet in cold milk ; and, when the milk and cream boil, add the 
wet flour, stirring and boiling one or two minutes. Put in 
.slices of toasted white or corn bread, and serve. 

NUMBER EIGHT. 

This may be made wholly of cream ; and, when it boils, add 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 91 

salt and flour in the proportion of a teaspoon of salt and two 
large spoons of flour to a large quart of cream. 

PIES. 

Some persons use lard, and others suet-fat or butter, to make 
pastry. The best lard is hard and white, with no water in it : 
that which is soft and dark is made of fat not fit to be used. 
Flaky pastry, which some people consider a necessary part of 
a pie, is not made in accordance with rules usually given ; such 
as rubbing the lard and flour together, or rolling out- several 
times, and laying in butter or lard and flour each time : the 
more crust is rolled, the harder it becomes. Flaky pastry is 
made by having the lard or butter unevenly mixed in, and as 
lightly as possible. 

Put equal quantities of lard and cold water in a pan or 
wooden bowl ; or, if the lard has water mixed with it, use more 
lard, or less water. Mix in sufficient flour to roll out for pies ; 
but make the pastry as soft as it can be worked, and do not 
mould it at all. Save the clippings of each pie for the under- 
crust of the next, as this needs to be harder than the upper- 
crust, to prevent melting or breaking. The fat which rises on 
the water that beef is boiled in is better than lard, and about 
as good as butter, for pastry. 

Save all such fat ; melt, and strain it through a small tin 
sieve ; and, when it is cold, it is fit for use. If cabbage was 
boiled with the meat, cut a raw potato in slices when melting 
the fat ; fry them in it ; and it is cleansed from the taste of 
cabbage. Deep plates shoTald be used to prevent the waste of 
sugar by boiling over. Pies should be baked as soon as made, 
and on the bottom of a very hot oven, till the crust is light 
brown all over ; then take them out, and cover with a clean 
dish-towel to steam the crust, and make it soft as well as flaky. 

Some persons makes things which they call pies, and dry 
them in an oven with both its doors open, so that, when the 
poor things make their appearance at table, they look as if 
they were in the last stage of consumption. Pies made cor- 
rectly are wholesome enough. 



92 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

APPLE-PIE. 

Porter apples are best of any for cooking, being so juicy tbat 
they need no water with them; but, as they are fall apples, 
they do not last long unless preserved. Those who raise them, 
and cannot sell what they do not want for their own use, can 
stew and bottle them, and they will keep as long as wanted, 
being very convenient to use for pies. 

Line a plate with crust ; lay in one layer of pared, quartered, 
and cored apples ; sprinkle on a saltspoon of salt, one or two 
large spoons of sugar according to the acidity of the apples or 
the size of the pie, one or two large spoons of water if other 
than Porters are used, and a little grated nutmeg, or the 
grated rind of a half-lemon mixed in the water. Some prefer 
cinnamon or other spice in them. Cover and bake. The 
same made in a deep dish without the sugar, and sweetened 
when eaten hot, is excellent ; or a pudding-sauce may be made 
for it. 

DRIED-APPLE-PIE. 
If the dried apple is to be used without sifting, cut out all 
the cores or hulls, if any; wash it till the last water is clean, 
and soak it all night in an equal measure of cold water; half 
fill a preserve-kettle with it and the water it soaked in, adding 
more water if needed ; cover closely ; but do not stir it, lest it 
burn. Cook it one hour over a moderate fire. Spread a thin 
layer of it in a plate with crust, and make same as green apple- 
pie is made. It makes a better pie for some tastes if the 
apple is sifted, and butter added. Cover and bake ; or, if sifted, 
bake without a cover. 

BLACKBERRY-PIE. 

Line a deep plate with crust ; fill it with berries ; add a 
saltspoon. of salt, and a handful of sugar. Cover and bake. 

CARROT-PIE. 
Carrot-pies are as nice as squash-pies if made of the same 
ingredients otherwise. Wash, scrape, and rinse two carrots 
of average size ; slice thin ; and boil in as little water as possi- 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 93 

ble from two hours and a half to three hours, or till soft ; sift 
them through a tin sieve ; and there should be about two cup- 
fuls. Add to this three beaten eggs, one cup of sugar, a tea- 
spoon of salt, butter the size of an egg, one or two large spoons 
of rose-water, and six cups of milk. Line a deep plate with 
crust ; fill with the mixture ; and bake till the crust is light 
brown. No cover is used. 

NUMBER TWO. 

Beat three eggs with four large spoons of sugar, and six 
spoons of stewed and sifted carrot ; add a large quart of milk, 
a teaspoon of salt, and rose-water, grated lemon-rind, or spice. 
No cover is needed. 

CHEERY-PIE. 
A cup and a half of stoned cherries, one cup of sugar, one 
large spoon of fine bread-crumbs, a little grated nutmeg or 
not, and a saltspoon of salt. Bake with a cover. 

COCOANUT-PIE. 
Three beaten eggs, three-fourths of a cup of sugar, a cup and 
a half of grated cocoanut, a saltspoon of salt, and a cup of 
milk. Bake without a cover. 

CEANBERRY-PIE. 
Pick and wash one cup of cranberries ; lay them without 
cooking on the under-crust with a half-cup of sugar and a 
saltspoon of salt. Cover and bake. They are almost as good 
as strawberry-pies. 

CREAM-PIE. 
One beaten egg, two large spoons of sugar, a saltspoon of 
salt, one cup of cream, one spoon of rose-water, and two spoons 
of fine bread-crumbs. Bake without a cover. 

NUMBER TWO. 

Two beaten eggs, two spoons of sugar, a saltspoon of salt, 
one cup of cream, the grated rind of one lemon, and two spoons 
of sifted flour. 



94 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

CUREANT-PIE. 

Very nice pies are made of currants. Mix together a cup 
and a half of picked and washed currants, and three-fourths 
or one cup of sugar, and a saltspoon of salt. Bake with or 
without a coyer. 

CUSTAED-PIE. 

Custard-pies need a rather hot oven, hut never should he 
baked on the grate, as, if they are, the crust will he dough : 
they should not boil, as this causes whey in them, and makes 
the remainder too hard to be easily digested. When the 
handle of a silver spoon can be inserted in the custard, and 
drawn out without the custard adhering to it, the pie is done 
if th6 crust is light brown. Some persons like custard-pies 
when not too rich. They may be made by using only one or 
two eggs to a pie, sufficient milk to fill it, a half-cup of sugar, 
a saltspoooi of salt, and a little grated nutmeg, 

NUMBER TWO. 

Five beaten eggs to a small, or six to a large quart of milk, 
a saltspoon or teaspoon of salt, a half-cup or more of sugar, 
and a spoon of rose-water, or grated lemon-rind or nutmeg. 

GOOSEBERRY-PIE. 

Large ripe gooseberries are best to eat raw without sugar, 
but may be made into pies, using one-half their quantity of 
sugar and a saltspoon of salt to one pie. Some use them 
green ; but more sugar is needed. They may be sifted after 
they are stewed, sugar and salt added, and baked without a 
cover. 

HUCKLEBEERY-PIE. 

Mix four cups of berries in a pan with one cup of sugar, and 
fill the plates, which should be very deep ; add a saltspoon of 
salt to each pie ; cover, and bake quickly, as the juice will not 
be so likely to stew out as when long baked. The oven should 
be very hot, and the crust, like all others, baked till light 
brown. 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 95 

LEMON-PIE. 

Line a shallow plate with crust, and roll and cut some thick 
strips an inch in width, and lay around the edge of the pie- 
crust after having wet it all around ; or this strip may be cut 
whole by laying the plate inverted on the rolled crust, cutting 
around it, removing the plate, laying a saueer in the same 
way, and cutting around that. Take an iron spoon the han- 
dle of which has a hole to hang it up by, and press this end of 
the spoon all around the edge of the crust. This keeps it in 
place, and is ornamental when baked. Wash and wipe one 
lemon ; grate off the yellow rind ; cut it in two or three pieces ; 
press out the juice, and wash out what remains with two large 
spoons of cold water ; press the pieces again, and throw away. 
Take the juice, grated rind, and the two spoons of water 
last used ; add one beaten egg, one cup of sugar, two large 
spoons of very fine bread-crumbs or flour, and a saltspoon of 
salt. Fill the crust, and bake without a cover. Two-thirds 
of ^ cup of sugar will do if less sweetness is preferred. 

Make some blanc-mange, and, when the pie is cool, pouir it 
on till full ; and, when cold, it is ready for the table. Or the 
blanc-mange may be colored with currant-juice. 

KUMBER TWO. 

One beaten egg, one cup of sugar, the juice and rind of one 
lemon, a saltspoon of salt, one large potato pared and grated, 
and about one cup of cold water. Mix well, and bake without 
a cover. 

NUMBER THREE. 

One beaten Qgg, the juice and grated rind of one lemon, one 
cup of sugar, a saltspoon of salt, a cup of cold water, and one 
cup of fine bread-crumbs. The egg may be omitted if pre- 
ferred. Bake without a cover. 

NUMBER FOUR. 

One beaten Qgg, the grated rind and juice of one lemon, one 
cup of sugar, one cup of sweet cream, two large spoons of 



96 THE EOMEKEEPER. 

sifted flour, and a saltspoon of salt. Bake without a cover ; 
and, when nearly cold, pour on blanc-mange or not, as wanted. 
The same recipes may be used for small tarts. 

MAIZE^A-PIE. 
Boil a pint of milk, and stir into it two large spoons of mai- 
zena that have been wet in three spoons of cold water. Take 
it off the fire ; add one beaten egg, two large spoons of sugar, 
a saltspoon of salt, and spice or flavor : lemon or rose-water is 
nice. Line a deep plate with crust ; fill it with this mixture ; 
and bake till the crust is done. 

MINCE-PIE. 

Mince-pies may be made of almost any kind of meat, or of 
several kinds together, and of several kinds of fruit or vegeta- 
bles. In spring, when sour apples are out of season, rhubarb 
is an excellent substitute for them. Peel and chop fine the 
stalks, and use same as apple. Beets soaked a short tim5 in 
vinegar are used ; also cranberries, dried apple, or bread. 
Suet, fat meat, or butter, are mixed with the lean meat. It is 
best to lay the dried fruit on each pie when made, as some- 
times the meat spoils if kept too long, and less will be wasted. 
A variety may be produced by using different spices, or diff'er- 
ent combinations of them, at times : most persons become tired 
of one way of cooking every thing. Lemon is the best acid for 
mince-pies ; and the rind grated gives them an agreeable flavor. 
It may always be had by preserving it with sugar. Vinegar 
is sometimes used. 

For a small family it will be found economical to save every 
piece of cold cooked meat not wanted on the table, whether 
fat or lean, even remnants of salt pork, and put each in a bowl 
of vinegar till enough are saved for a few pies. There is no 
need of wasting any thing clean ; and, if remnants left on plates 
must be used, wash them first in warm water. In the coldest 
weather, prepared pie-meat will keep a long time, especially 
if cooked first, or heated through in a hot oven. 

For a large quantity of pies, the roots of beef-tongue are 



( 



THE EOMEKEEPER. 97 

used ; also the heart and the shank. If the tongue is fresh, 
soak it all night in cold water ; wash clean ; cut off the tongue 
to boil for the table ; or, if not wanted at present, cover it with 
brine by itself till wanted ; but it should not be kept long. 
Have ready a kettle of boiling water, with a large spoon or 
more of salt in it, and boil the roots four hours. Let the meat 
boil slowly ; skim off all the scum that rises, and let the water 
boil away at last if it will. This water contains much of the 
nutriment of the meat, and should be used in the pies ; or, if 
there is too much, save it for soup. If the meat is done soft, 
take it out, and chop it fine as possible in a wooden tray. If 
fat rises on the water when cold, it is as good as butter to use 
in the pies. 

NUMBBE ONE. 

Three cups of boiled and chopped lean meat, one cup of 
chopped suet, sis cups of chopped apples or of stewed and 
chopped dried apple, two cups of molasses, a half-cup of vine- 
gar, or two lemons, two teaspoons of ground cloves or other 
spice, half a nutmeg, and two teaspoons of salt. Fill the pies ; 
add a layer of raisins and sliced citron ; cover and bake. 

NUMBER TWO. 

Two cups of chopped lean meat, one cup of chopped suet o* 
butter, four cups of apple, a cup of sugar, a half-cup of molas- 
ses, the juice and grated rind of one lemon, or two large spoons 
of vinegar, a teaspoon of ground cloves, one of salt, or more, 
and other spice if wanted. Fill ; add the fruit ; cover and 
bake. 

NUMBER THREE. 

Three pints of meat, three of apple, two lemons, or a half- 
cup of vinegar, a pint of molasses, the same of sugar, four tea- 
spoons of salt, five teaspoons of ground cloves, or the same of 
a mixture of spices ; add the dried fruit ; cover and bake. 

NUMBER FOUR. 

Five cups of chopped lean meat, one cup of chopped suet, 
tutter, or cooked pork, five cups of apple, dried apple, or rhu- 

7 



98 THE HOMEEEEPER. 

barb, one cup of molasses, two cups of sugar, a half-cup of vin 
egar, or two lemons, one large spoon of salt, a large spoon of 
mixed ground spices, and half a nutmeg. Equal parts of 
meat, apple, and bread, make good mince-pies. 

ORANGE-PIE. 
Remove the rinds from the oranges, and separate them into 
small pieces. Line a deep plate with crust, and lay in two di- 
vided oranges, with one large spoon of sugar, the same of water, 
and a saltspoon of salt. Cover and bake. This makes a very 
good pie ; but it is not quite as good as the raw fruit. 

PEACH-PIE. 
Pare and halve the peaches ; fill the pie ; and add one spoon 
or more of sugar, and a saltspoon of salt. Cover and bake. 

PINEAPPLE-PIE. 
Pare, and cut in small pieces ; fill the pie, adding one or two 
spoons of sugar, and a saltspoon of salt. Cover and bake. 

PLUM-PIE. 
Take out the stones ; fill the pie ; add a half-cup or more of 
sugar, and a saltspoon of salt. 

PUFFS. 
Puffs are made the size of tarts, but are covered after the 
fruit is in. Those made of stewed green apples are very 
nice, the apple being seasoned the same as for pies or tarts. 

QUINCE-PIE. 
Fill the pie with preserved quinces, or pare and slice them ; 
and to a cup and a half of this fruit add three-fourths or 
one cup of sugar, a saltspoon of salt, and one or two spoons of 
cold water. Cover and bake; 

RASPBERRY-PIE. 

This fruit, when ripe, needs very little sugar. Fill the pie j 
add one spoon or less of sugar, and a saltspoon of salt. 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 99 

EHUBARB-PIE. 

The leaves of this plant should never be used, as persons 
have been poisoned by eating them. Peel the stalks, cut 
them fine, and to a cup and a half of it add three-fourths 
of a cup of sugar, and a saltspoon of salt. Cover and bake. 

NUMBER TWO. 

Spread only one layer of rhubarb on the under-crust, and a 
half-cup of sugar will be sufficient to sweeten it ; add a salt- 
spoon of salt, and two large spoons of very fine bread-crumbs. 
Sometimes an egg is added ; but it is not much of an improve- 
ment. 

EICE-PIE. 

One beaten q^^, half a cup of sugar, a saltspoon of salt, a 
little grated nutmeg, one cup of boiled rice, a large spoon of 
flour, and one cup of milk. Bake without a cover. 

NUMBER TWO. 

One beaten egg, three-fourths of a cup of sugar, a cup and 
a half of boiled rice, a saltspoon of salt, a little grated nut- 
meg, and a cup of milk. 

SQUASH-PIE. 
Two quarts of stewed and sifted squash or pumpkin, two 
quarts of milk, six large spoons of sifted flour, one cup of 
sugar, two teaspoons of salt, and the grated rind of one lemon, 
or half a nutmeg. Fill in deep plates, and bake without a 
cover in a hot oven. 

NUMBER TWO. 

One beaten egg, one cup of sugar, one pint of squash, two 
teaspoons of salt, one spoon of rose-water or more, eight spoons 
of flour, and two small quarts of milk. 

NUMBER THREE. 

Four beaten eggs, one cup of sugar, two teaspoons of salt, 
one spoon of rosewater, or the grated rind of one lemon, eight 
spoons of squash, and two small quarts of milk. 



100 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

NUMBER FOUR. 

One beaten egg, one-third of a cup of sugar, one spoon of 
flour, a half-cup of squash, a saltspoon of salt, a half-teaspoon 
of grated lemon-rind, or half a spoon of rose-water, and one 
pint of milk. This makes only one pie. 

NUMBER FIVE. 

One beaten egg, two spoons of sugar, a saltspoon of salt, 
half a cup of squash, one spoon of flour, and a cup of milk. 
This makes only one pie. 

NUMBER SIX. 

Eight beaten eggs, two cups of sugar, one-third of a cup of 
butter, one quart of squash, one teaspoon of salt, two spoons 
of rose-water, or the grated rind of a lemon, and two quarts of 
milk. 

NUMBER SEVEN. 

One beaten egg, one cup of sugar, a saltspoon of salt, half a 
cup of squash, a little grated nutmeg, one spoon of flour, and 
a cup of cream. 

STEAWBERRY-PIE. 

This needs nearly as much sugar as rhubarb, unless the fruit 
is fully ripe. To two cups of berries add three-fourths of a 
cup of sugar, or more, and a saltspoon of salt. Cover and 
bake. 

SWEET-POTATO-PIE. 
Two beaten eggs, a half-cup of sugar, one cup of boiled 
and sifted sweet-potato, a saltspoon of salt, a little nutmeg or 
other spice, and a small quart of milk. 

TARTS. 

The paste for tarts may be made by rubbing the flour and 

lard together before the water is added ; and the quantities 

should be the same as for pies. If lard is used, a little salt is 

needed. If made like paste for pies, and a wall is made of it 



THE IIOMEKEEPER. lOl 

around the edge, it melts when baking : hut the usual way is 
to cut the paste, after it is rolled, with a tin cutter the size of 
the top of a teacup ; then cut out the centre with a smaller 
cutter ; wet the edge of the under-piece, which should be cut 
only with the larger cutter, and lay this around on it. They 
may be filled with almost any kind of fruit, sifted or made 
into jelly, sweetened and flavored as for pies. Apple is made 
white by having a little milk or cream mixed with it, but will 
not keep long. Boil twenty apples in a pint of water which 
was cold at first ; and to one large quart of sifted sour apple, 
green or dried, add one cup of sugar, a teaspoon of salt, and 
half a cup of cream or milk. Currants, cranberries, goose- 
berries, grapes, lemons, plums, quinces, rhubarb, and straw- 
berries, all make nice tarts, besides some other fruits. A cov- 
ering of blanc-mange is quite ornamental and improving. The 
same size of crust filled with carrot, cream, custard, corn-starch, 
squash, or sweet-potato, prepared as for pies, is very nice ; but 
a higher edge is needed. 

TAPIOCA-PIE. 
"Wash one cup of tapioca, and soak it all night in a cup of 
cold water; use one cup of the soaked tapioca, adding one 
beaten eg^, half a cup or more of sugar, a saltspoon of salt, a 
little grated nutmeg, or flavor, and one cup of milk. Bake 
without a cover. 

THIMBLEBEEKY-PIE. 
Eill a crust with two cups of berries ; add one cup of sugar, a 
saltspoon of salt, and a little grated nutmeg. Cover and bake. 

TUENOVEE-PIE. 
The crust should be made the same as for boiled puddings. 
Chop fine half a pound of beef-suet ; add a cup of yeast, a cup 
of water, and flour sufficient to mould. Mould, and let it rise 
all night. Roll it out thin ; cut the pieces by laying down a 
saucer, and cutting around it ; wet the edge with cold water, 
and lay in a spoonful of cooked apple, green or dried, or 
mince-pie meat seasoned agreeably, but without much juice. 



102 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

Fold tlie crust once over the apple ; press the edges neatly- 
together ; and fry in boiling lard. 

WASHINGTON-PIE. 
This may be made by putting a layer of jelly between two 
thin loaves of plain cake, or by removing the upper half of a 
loaf of cake, and inserting the jelly between this and the 
lower half. 

PUDDINGS. 

A pudding-dish should be of iron or of white earthen- 
ware, as the yellow and brown wares contain poisonous sub- 
stances. Puddings to be baked are cooked best on the oven- 
grate, as, if baked on the bottom, the under-part is too solid. 
Puddings that are to be boiled should be put in only when the 
water boils, as, otherwise, they will be heavy ; and a kettle 
of boiling water should be kept ready to fill up as often as it 
boils away. An iron cross-piece in the pot should be used to 
protect the pudding from burning. 

A pudding-bag is needed, and should be made of stout, 
bleached sheeting, as follows : cut a round piece for the bot- 
tom five inches diameter, allowing enough more for the seam. 
Cut another piece eighteen inches in length, fifteen in width 
for the bottom, and seventeen in width for the top ; make a 
hem in the top ; run in a cord, and, if well made, it will answer 
its purpose. It should be washed before it is used. 

APPLE-PUDDING. 

Wash and skin a half-pound of beef-suet ; chop it fine as 
possible in a wooden tray ; mix with it a quart or more of 
sifted flour, one cup of yeast, one cup of water, observing the 
rules for bread as to temperature. Mould, and put it to rise 
in a deep tin pail at night. The pail should be covered. 

Early in the morning, if it is light, as it will be if the yeast 
is good, roll it out thin ; lay in as many apples that are pared, 
quartered, and cored, as it will hold (Porters are best), and 
fold the crust entirely over the apple ; put the pudding into a 



THE EOMEKEEPES. 103 

large cotton cloth that has just been wet in cold water ; sew or 
tie it loosely ; and let it rise till time to boil it, or till two hours 
before dinner-time. If the weather is hot, it would be best to 
put it in a refrigerator till time to boil it. This crust makes a 
fine pudding when filled with almost any kind of fruit or 
berries, especially huckleberries or cherries, plums, peaches, 
quinces, and other fruits, or even rhubarb. Serve with sweet 
sauce. 

Small puddings may be made of the same materials by 
dividing them, and boiling a less time, or baking them in the 
oven. Pie-crust may be filled with fruit, rolled up round, and 
baked the same way. 

NUMBER TWO. 

Put three quarts of pared, quartered, and cored apple into 
a gallon preserve-kettle ; add a cup of sugar or molasses and 
a little water. Make a crust Hke that in number one, or like 
bread, allowing it to rise all night ; make it into biscuits one 
hour before dinner ; lay them on the apple, and boil, but do not 
let the pudding hvftn. 

NUMBER THREE. 

Set a clean standard dish into a low round dish, and set 
both in a steamer. Have some raised bread-dough ready, or 
pudding-crust as for number one, and fill the lower dish with 
it ; or make four biscuits of it, and lay in ; then fill the upper 
dish with pared and quartered apples ; cover ; and set over a 
kettle containing a little boiling water. Steam it one hour, 
and serve with sweet sauce. 

APPLE AND CREAM PUDDING. 
Mix three cups of stewed and sifted or mashed Porter 
apples, a half-cup of sugar, and a saltspoon of salt. Pour over 
this a mixture of one cup of cold boiled rice, a cup of sweet 
cream, one beaten egg, a half-cup of sugar, a half-teaspoon of 
salt, and one spoon of flour. Bake an hour and a fourth. 



104 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

AEEOWROOT-PUDDING. 
Boil tliree cups of milk, and stir into it, immediately, two 
large spoons of arrowroot wet in one cup of milk. When 
nearly cold, add four well-beaten eggs, a piece of butter tbe 
size of an egg, a half-cup of sugar, and a little grated nutmeg 
or lemon-peel. Bake from twenty to thirty minutes. 

BREAD-PUDDING. 
Cut the crust from a whole square loaf of bread, and steam 
it from half an hour to an hour. Serve with sweet sauce. 

NUMBER TWO. 

Bread-puddings are often spoiled by being baked too long. 
Four beaten eggs, one cup of sugar, three pints of bread soaked 
in a small quart of water, two small teaspoons of salt, a little 
spice or grated lemon-rind, three pints of milk, and, if 
wanted, one cup of raisins. Bake nearly two hours. 

NUMBER THREE. 

Three beaten eggs, a cup of sugar, one^ quart of buttered 
bread, a teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of ground cloves or 
other spice, and three pints of milk. Make it in season for it 
to soak together one hour, and bake about an hour and a half. 
No sauce is needed. 

BUCKWHEAT-PUDDING. 
Cold buckwheat-cakes need not be thrown away, as they 
often are ; for they make a very good pudding. One beaten 
egg, half a cup of sugar, a saltspoon of salt, a little spice, a 
small pint of cold buckwheat-cakes cut fine, a pint and a 
half of milk, and a handful of raisins. This makes a good 
pudding for a small family. 

COCOANUT-PUDDING. 
A cocoanut, to be good, should have its natural liquid remain- 
ing in it ; and, if it has not, it is usually sour and worthless. 
Shake it ; and, if the milk is heard, it is good, unless the milk 
has been taken out, and its place filled with water. Break 



J 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 105 

the shell, cut the woody fibre from the fruit, grate it, and to 
one cocoanut of medium size add two quarts of milk, a tea- 
spoon or more of salt, a small quart of fine bread-crutnbs, and 
one cup of sugar. Bake about two hours. 

NUMBEK TWO. 

Two cups and a half of grated cocoanut, a cup and a half 
of sugar, one spoon of flour or corn-starch boiled in the milk of 
the nut, a teaspoon of salt, a pint of fine bread-crumbs, and 
three pints of milk. This is good hot or cold. 

NUMBER THREE. 

Six beaten eggs, one cup of sugar, a teaspoon of salt, butter 
the size of an egg, three pints of milk, and one grated cocoa- 
nut with its milk. 

CORNMEAL-PUDDING. 

Wash, and chop fine, three-fourths of a pound of beef-suet ; 
pour a small pint of boiling water on a small quart of corn- 
meal ; and mix all these together with a half-cup of molasses 
and a teaspoon of salt. Put this into a pudding-bag, and boil 
three hours. Serve with sauce or butter. If the molasses be 
left out, it may be eaten with meat. 

NUMBER TWO. 

One beaten egg, a cup of molasses, two cups of chopped 
suet, one cup of yeast, half a nutmeg, three cups and a half 
of corn-meal, and one cup of flour. Let it rise all night, and 
boil three hours. Serve with sauce. 

NUMBER THREE. 

One beaten egg, one cup of sugar, half a nutmeg, half a 
pound (or two cups) of chopped beef-suet, one cup of milk, one 
of yeast, and three cups of corn-meal. Let it rise all night, 
and boil three hours in a pudding-bag. Serve with sauce. 

NUMBER FOUR. 

Allow two quarts of milk and two cups of corn-meal, using 



106 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

a part of the milk cold to wet the meal, and boiling the rest 
of it ; stir the milk to prevent burning ; and, as soon as it boils, 
stir in the meal, and with it a half-cup of molasses and a 
teaspoon of salt. Let it boil about three minutes, stirring it 
all the time ; then dish, and bake it four or five hours. A few 
sweet apples pared and quartered are an improvement to this 
kind of pudding. Serve with butter. 

CORN-PUDDING. 
Grate twelve ears of raw green corn, and mix with four 
well-beaten eggs, one cup of sugar, a half-cup of butter or 
cream, a teaspoon of salt, and a large quart of milk. Bake it 
from two to three hours. 

CORN-STAECH-PUDDING. 

Many kinds of food prepared for market are made of pota- 
toes; and corn-starch is supposed to be one of them.- 

Mix three large spoons of corn-starch in cold water enough 
to wet it. Boil a quart either of water or milk, and pour in 
the wet starch, adding a teaspoon of salt ; stir two or three 
minutes till clear ; dish, and serve with sauce. This makes a 
cheap and good pudding. 

NUMBER TWO. 

Use one small quart of milk, taking a part of it to wet two 
large spoons of corn-starch ; boil the remainder of it, and stir 
into it the wet starch. Have ready two eggs well beaten, two 
large spoons of sugar, a teaspoon of salt, and the grated rind 
of one lemon or other flavor or spice. Boil all together five 
minutes, stirring constantly, and serve with or without sauce. 
Or use a pint more of milk, and bake the pudding thirty 
minutes. 

CREAM-PUDDING. 
Two beaten eggs, two large spoons of sugar, a saltspoon of 
salt, two cups of sweet cream, and four large spoons of sifted 
flour. Bake thirty minutes or more, according to the fire; 
and serve warm without sauce. 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 107 

CRUMB-PUDDING. 

Crumbs or remnants of cake, cookies, or bread, make excel- 
lent puddings. 

One beaten egg, a quart of milk, one cup of cake or cooky- 
crumbs, half a teaspoon of salt, a little spice or flavor, and a 
little sugar if necessary. 

CUSTAED-PUDDING. 

Custards should not boil, as this causes whey in them. 
When a spoon-handle can be inserted in them without the cus- 
tard adhering on being withdrawn, they are done. 

Four beaten eggs, half a cup of sugar, a large quart of milk, 
half a teaspoon of salt, and a little grated nutmeg. This may 
be baked in a pudding-dish, or in cups. The oven should not 
be very hot. Or they may be steamed from three-fourths of 
an hour to an hour. 

NUMBER TWO. 

Six beaten eggs, one cup of sugar, a saltspoon of salt, a 
large quart of milk, and spice or flavor. 

NUMBER THREE. 

Two eggs, a saltspoon of salt, half a cup of sugar, one cup 
of sweet Qream, two cups of milk, and rosewater ox grated 
nutmeg. 

NUMBER FOUR. 

One beaten egg, half a cup of sugar, a sa,ltspoon of salt, and 
a teaspoon of grated lemon-rind. Wash one cup of sea-moss, 
and boil it in a large quart of milk five minutes, stirring to 
prevent burning ; strain, and press it through a jelly-bag, and 
mix it with the egg and sugar. Wet the mould, pour in the 
custard, and keep it on ice till wanted. 

FARINA-PUDDING. 
Boil one large quart of water ; wet five spoons of farina in a 
very little cold water, adding a teaspoon of salt ; and stir this 
into the boiling water till thick : pour it into a pudding-dish, 



108 THE EOMEKEEPER. 

and let it remain in the oven from twenty to thirty minutes. 
Serve with sauce, or with butter and sugar. 

KUMBER TWO. 

Boil three large spoons' of farina, previously wet in cold 
water, in three large pints of milk, stirring it constantly till 
thick. Have ready two beaten eggs, a cup of sugar, a tea- 
spoon of salt, and a little spice or flavor. Mix all together, and 
bake one hour. 

NUMBER THREE. 

Boil five large spoons of farina, previously wet in cold water, 
in three large pints of water. Kemove it from the fire, and add 
to it five beaten eggs, a cup of sugar, a large quart of milk, two 
teasfpoons of salt, and spice or flavor. Bake it two hours, and 
serve with or without sauce. 

FIG-PUDDING. 
Make this as directed for fruit-pudding number two, with 
the exception of using figs instead of other fruit. 

ELOUR-PUDDING. 
Allow one quart of milk, adding a teaspoon of salt ; and, as 
soon as it boils, stir in sifted flour as long as the milk will re- 
ceive it, and the pudding is done. Wet a bowl, or mould ; put 
the pudding in it to remain a few minutes ; turn out, and serve 
with sweet sauce. This pudding is not as light as some kinds, 
but is liked by many persons : it is sometimes called a minute- 
pudding. 

NUMBER TWO. 

Boil three-fourths of a small quart of milk, and wet three 
large spoons of flour in the other fourth ; stir all together till 
thick ; and then pour it into a pudding-dish containing two 
beaten eggs, two-thirds of a cup of sugar, half a teaspoon of 
salt, and half a nutmeg grated. Mix well, and bake an hour. 

FRUIT-PUDDING. 
The Thanksgiving plum-pudding of our ancestors was 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 109 

made as follows : Crackers were used in making it ; but bread 
is preferable as far as health is concerned, unless crackers are 
superior to their reputation. Soak about a dozen large crack- 
ers, if pure, in milk, the night before it is made, not taking the 
trouble to skim the milk ; or use the same quantity of bread 
sliced, but without soaking. Use a tin or iron kettle that 
holds about a gallon. Mix four beaten eggs with two cups of 
sugar, a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon each of ground cloves, all- 
spice, and cinnamon, and one grated nutmeg. Half fill the 
kettle with alternate layers of crackers or bread, the egg-mix- 
ture, and box-raisins, using a pound of the raisins ; then make 
the kettle three-fourths full with milk, if to be baked in a stove 
oven, as it swells, and runs over ; but it may be filled to bake 
in a brick oven. It requires three hours to bake in a brick 
oven, and some less in a stove. Cover it while baking, if 
likely to burn. It is better cold than hot, but nice either way, 
and may be eaten with or without sauce. If the kettle is 
swabbed with fat before the pudding is made, it turns out 
smooth and hard when cold, and may be cut in handsome 
slices. Those who have only manufactured milk butter each 
half-cracker, or slice of bread. 

NUMBEK TWO. 

The old English plum-pudding is usually cooked by boil- 
ing, and is raised with eggs or ale ; but yeast is preferable to 
either. In this kind of pudding the fruit may be varied to 
suit the taste without injuring the pudding. Dates, figs, cit- 
ron, currants, or raisins, may be used. 

Wash, skin, and chop fine in a tray, a half-pound of beef- 
suet, and mix with one pound (which is a small quart) of sifted 
flour, a half-pound or more of chopped raisins, a half-pint of 
yeast, and the same of water, a teaspoon of salt, half a tea- 
spoon of ground cloves or other spice, and the grated rind of a 
lemon. Wet the pudding-bag in cold water ; and, after the 
pudding is well mixed, put it in the bag, and set it to rise in 
a covered tin pail where the temperature is right to raise bread. 
It should be mixed at night to be ready to be boiled next day. 



110 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

Tie the bag quite near the pudding, as it will not swell much 
if any more. Have a dinner-pot half full of boiling water, and 
the iron cross-piece in to prevent burning ; and do not put 
the pudding in unless the water boils ; and, lest it should boil 
out, keep the teakettle full of boiling water to fill up with. 
The pudding should boil about three hours. When done, dip 
it in a pail of cold water, and out immediately, to loosen the 
pudding from the bag : this allows nice slices to be cut from it. 
Serve with sweet sauce made from the water it was boiled in. 
For a small family, use one-half the quantity of flour, suet, 
yeast, and other things ; and, for fruit, one cup of raisins and 
a half-cup of dried currants. 

NUMBER THREE. 

Two small quarts of sifted flour, a half-pound of chopped 
suet, a teaspoon of salt, two beaten eggs, a teaspoon of ground 
cloves, half a nutmeg, two cups and a half of milk, a half- 
pound of stoned and chopped raisins, and a half-pound of 
cleaned dried currants. Boil two hours or more. 

NUMBER FOUR. 

A half-pound of chopped beef-suet, a small pint of bread- 
crumbs wet in a cup of water and chopped fine, a small 
pint of flour, one cup of yeast, a little grated nutmeg or other 
spice, and two cups of dried currants. Let it rise aU night, 
and boil two hours. Serve with sweet sauce. 

NUMBER FIVE. 

A half-pound of chopped beef-suet, a small quart and a fourth 
of sifted flour, a little less than a small pint of yeast and water 
in equal proportions, one cup (or a half-pound) of figs washed 
in cold water and chopped, one cup of washed and stoned 
dates, a half-pound of seeded raisins, one-fourth of a pound 
of sliced citron, the grated rind of one lemon, one-fourth of a 
nutmeg, and a saltspoon each of ground cloves, allspice, and 
cinnamon. Raise all night, and boil two hours and a half or 
three hours. Serve with sauce. 



THE HOMEKEEPER. Ill 

HASTY-PUDDING. 

Boil one quart of water ; add a teaspoon of salt ; sift in corn- 
meal with the left hand, while the right stirs it with a stout 
spoon ; and boil all at least five minutes after all the meal is 
in, or till as thick as griddle-batter. The longer it is boiled, 
the better it becomes, if it is stirred constantly, and does not 
burn. Wet a bowl, put the pudding in it, cover, and in a few 
minutes turn out on a plate, and serve with cold milk. ■ This 
was one of the dishes of our ancestors, and should be of ours, 
as nothing is more wholesome. 

When cold, cut it in slices ; fry in hot pork-fat till brown on 
both sides by being turned once ; sprinkle on sugar, and serve. 

HOMINY-PUDDING. 

Soak a pint of hominy in two pints and a half of cold water 
all night ; add a teaspoon of salt ; set it over the fire, stirring 
till it is thick ; set it in the oven to remain one hour, and it is 
ready for the table. 

HUCKLEBEREY-PUDDING. 

Make a crust as for apple-pudding number one ; fill with 
huckleberries, and boil the same way; or mix the crust in the 
morning, which would be better. Serve with sweet sauce. 

NUMBER TWO. 

This is sometimes called a pot-pie. Two quarts of berries, 
a pint of good molasses, a half-teaspoon of salt, but no water. 
Put these into a kettle, and make a crust like bread, by mix- 
ing, early in the morning, a cup of yeast, one of water, and 
flour enough to mould ; or make a pudding-crust like that for . 
apple-pudding number one. Let either rise till one hour 
before dinner, and make it into biscuits to lay on the top of 
the berries ; cover, and boil one hour. Serve with butter. 

If sweetened with sugar, allow one-fifth as much sugar as 
berries in measure, and a few drops of water. 

NUMBER THREE. 

Half a pound of chopped suet, one pound of flour, or a lit- 



112 THE HOMEEEEPER. 

' tie more if needed, one pint of yeast and cold water in equal 
quantities, and a quart of berries. Mix carefully ; put it in a 
bag to rise all night ; and in the morning tie tight, and boil 
from two to three hours. Serve with sweet sauce. 

LEMON-PUDDING. 
Two beaten eggs, two small lemons, one teaspoon of salt, 
a cup and a half of sugar, three cups of fine bread-crumbs, 
and three cups of cold water. Bake an hour and a half. 

MAIZENA-PUDDING. 
Maizena, or corn-starch, which means the same, is supposed 
to be made from potatoes. Boil a large quart of milk, and stir 
into it six large spoons of maizena previously wet in one cup 
of cold milk or water, and a saltspoon or more of salt, till 
all is thick, but not burned. Take it off the fire ; add four 
beaten eggs mixed with one cup of sugar, some grated nut- 
meg or lemon-rind, and stir all well together. Wet some cups 
in cold water to prevent the pudding adhering to them ; pour 
the mixture in ; and set the cups on ice. When wanted for the 
table, turn them out on a plate or platter in a circle or oval, 
and also turn out a cup or glass of jelly for the centre, or 
custards alternately with blanc-mange made in cups. 

OATMEAL-PUDDING. 

Nothing is considered more wholesome than oatmeal, and it 
is also very rich and nutritious : children should have it often. 

Boil one quart of water with a teaspoon of salt in it ; add 
two cups of oatmeal previously wet in one cup of cold water ; 
stir constantly till thick ; pour it into a pudding-dish, and let it 
remain in the oven long enough to make a half-hour in all 
that it has been cooked. It is excellent to eat with meat, but 
is also eaten with butter and sugar, or with milk or cream. 
When any is left cold, put it in the pan with a little cold 
water; stir it till thick, and it is about as good as new. Or 
slice, and fry it in salt pork-fat. 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 113 

NUMBER TWO. 

Two beaten eggs, one cup of sugar, three small pints of 
milk, a lialf-teaspoon of salt, and two cups and a half of 
cooked oatmeal, as directed in number one. Bake an hour 
and a half. 

EHUBARB-PUDDING. 
Make a crust as for apple-pudding number one, and line it 
with rhubarb, peeled and sliced. Serve with sweet sauce. 

RICE-PUDDING. 

It is said the natives of East India cook rice so that each 
grain is dry, separate, and swelled to double its size. The 
nearest approach we make to cooking it in that way is to boil 
it about twenty minutes in a large quantity of water ; then 
shake, and drain it in a sieve. Wash a half-pound of rice, 
and put it into three quarts of boiling water with a teaspoon 
of salt, and boil it twenty minutes. Drain, and serve with 
sauce. Or cook it in just water enough to swell the rice ; add 
a teaspoon of salt to a quart of water, and one cup of raisins 
to a cup of rice. If more water is used than the rice takes up, 
make the sauoe of it, and save the remainder to put in soup. 

NUMBER TWO. 

One beaten egg, half a cup of sugar, three cups of cold 
boiled rice, a saltspoon of salt, a little grated nutmeg, three 
cups of milk, and half a cup of raisins, or not. Bake from 
an hour to two hours. 

RYE-PUDDING. 
Boil a quart of water, adding a teaspoon of salt ; stir in rye- 
meal as long as the water requires it, and serve with butter and 
molasses. 

SAUCE. 
Mix thoroughly half a cup of butter with a cup of sugar, 
and half a nutmeg grated, or the grated rind and the juice of 
a lemon. Smooth it, and serve on a butter-dish. 



114 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

NUMBER TWO. 

Boil a pint of water, and thicken it with a large spoon of 
flour wet to a smooth paste in cold water ; let it boil one or 
two minutes, and add a cup of sugar, butter the size of an egg, 
a saltspoon of salt, a little grated nutmeg, and a few drops of 
vinegar, or a teaspoon of lemon-juice and the grated rind of a 
lemon. Currant-juice makes sauce a beautiful color, and gives 
it a pleasant acid taste. It may be" bottled, and kept all the 
year. 

NUMBER THREE. 

Boil a small pint of the water in which a suet-pudding was 
boiled ; stir in one large spoon of flour smoothed in two-thirds 
of a cup of sweet cream ; add one cup of sugar, a saltspoon of 
salt, a teaspoon of lemon-juice, and a little grated nutmeg ; 
or, if the pudding has no lemon in it, add the grated rind of 
one lemon. 

NUMBER FOUR. 

One egg, one cup of sugar, half a cup of butter, a saltspoon 
of salt, half a nutmeg, and half a cup or less of boiling 
water. 

TAPIOCA-PUDDING. 

Sago, as well as corn-starch, is supposed to be made from 
potatoes. Tapioca cannot be imitated so easily ; and it is best 
to buy it, as it makes one of the best of puddings. It needs 
to soak an hour in an equal quantity of cold water before it is 
cooked. 

Wash a half-pound or a cup and a half of tapioca, and 
soak it in a quart of cold water one hour ; then add another 
quart of water and a teaspoon of salt, six sour apples pared 
and cored, or a lemon washed and sliced, or a cup of raisins 
or dried currants. Bake one hour, and serve with sauce. 

NUMBER TWO. 

A half-cup of tapioca, washed, and soaked an hour in an 
equal measure of cold water, a saltspoon of salt, a half-cup of 
sugar, a little spice or flavor, and one quart of milk. Bake 
one hour or more. 



THE HOMEEEEPER. 115 

NITMBEK THREE. 

Half a cup of tapioca, three beaten eggs, one cup of sugar, a 
teaspoon of salt, a little spice or flavor, and two small quarts 
of milk. Bake an hour and a half, and serve without sauce. 

NUMBER FOUR. 

This is a good pudding for a large family. Two cups of 
tapioca, five beaten eggs, one cup of sugar, two teaspoons of 
salt, a little grated nutmeg, lemon, or other spice or flavor, 
one large quart of milk, and a large quart and a half of 
water. Bake two hours or more. 

NUMBER FIVE. 

One cup of tapioca, two beaten eggs, one cup of sugar, one 
teaspoon of salt, a little spice or flavor, and one quart of milk. 
Bake one hour or more. 

NUMBER SIX. 

One cup of tapioca, two beaten eggs, one cup of sugar, a 
teaspoon of salt, two cups of huckleberries, and two cups of 
milk. Bake an hour and a half or less. 

NUMBER SEVEN. 

One cup of tapioca, two beaten eggs, a half-cup of sugar, a 
saltspoon of salt, butter the size of a walnut, the grated rind 
of a lemon, and a pint and a half of milk. Bake one hour or 
more. 

NUMBER EIGHT. 

One beaten egg, half a teaspoon of salt, half a cup of sugar, 
a cup and a half of soaked tapioca, one cup of cream, one cup 
of milk, and a little grated nutmeg. 

NUMBER NINE. 

One cup of tapioca, one beaten egg, a saltspoon of salt, a 
half-cup of sugar, two cups of cream, and a half-cup of milk. 
Bake one hour. 



116 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

ICE-CREAM. 

Three beaten eggs, one cup of white sugar, one quart of 
milk, and one or two teaspoons of grated lemon-rind. If there 
is no freezer at hand, put this mixture into a tin pail holding 
two to three quarts, and having a tight cover. Use a firkin 
large enough to allow plenty of room between its sides and 
the pail. Fill the firkin one-fourth or one-third full of old 
brine ; and, if it is good for nothing else, it is just as good for 
this purpose, as no brine should ever be allowed to get inside 
the pail. Put in as many small pieces of ice as can be got into 
the brine and around the pail ; then shake the pail around 
from right to left, and back, till it is done. H^ve a knife 
ready ; and, as often as the mixture gets frozen to the sides of 
the pail, remove it, and continue the shaking till all is frozen. 
Twenty minutes will generally suffice to freeze the quantity 
given here, even with so poor apparatus. 

NUMBER TWO. 

Four beaten eggs, one cup of sugar, one pint of sweet cream, 
the same of milk, and one or two teaspoons of grated lemon- 
rind or other flavor ; freeze as before directed. The flavoring- 
extracts made to sell are suspected — at least, some of them — 
of being made of powerful poisonous acids that cause sore 
mouths. 

SUBSTITUTE FOR ICE-CREAM. 

Two eggs, three-fourths of a cup of sugar or more, and 
flavor -of some kind. Wash one cup of sea-moss, and boil two 
to five minutes in a large quart of milk ; strain it ; add the 
beaten eggs and sugar, and a half-teaspoon of salt if wanted. 
Beat all together, and pour into moulds or cups previously 
wet in cold water, and set them on ice. 

BLANC-MANGE. 

This is made the same way as the preceding recipe, only 
leaving out the eggs, sugar, and salt. It may be eaten with 
jelly, or with sugar and milk. 



THE HOMEEEEPER. 117 

FRUIT-ICES. 

The soft pulp of fruits may be frozen like ice-cream, and 
served in glasses. This is more common in the West Indies 
than here. 

CANDY. 

It is not safe to allow children to eat candy unless it is 
made at home, as there are so many harmful and poisonous 
substances used in its manufacture. There are books which 
teach the processes of making candy ; and, if it must be eaten, 
it would be better to procure a book, and make all that is used. 
Molasses-candy is made as follows : " Boil two cups of New- 
Orleans molasses with one cup of sugar, one spoon of vinegar, 
and a piece of butter half as large as an egg, twenty minutes ; 
then work, and make it into sticks." 

BUTTER. 

It is said that those who make what is called Philadelphia 
butter, and which sells at a dollar a pound, churn only once 
a week. This may all be true ; yet the best butter cannot be 
made in that way, as, the sooner cream is churned after it is 
formed, the better the butter will be; and this is the principal 
difference between good and poor butter. There is a little 
difference in the milk of cows ; some being richer and more 
yellow than others. I have seen cream, that, when loosened 
from the sides of the pan, could be removed in one entire 
piece with a thumb and fingers : such cream is worth some- 
thing. 

First a good breed of cows should be kept ; and they should 
have a generous and varied diet, rightly salted, all the year, 
with plenty of clean water within reach at all times. Care 
and neatness must be used in milking and in every succeed- 
ing step of butter-making. A milk-room should be on the 
north or west side of the house, in as cool a place as can be 
found, and always kept clean. Milk pans and dishes should 
never be washed with other dishes. Rinse all of them in a 
little cold water, and put it in the swill ; next use clean hot 



118 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

suds, washing them thoroughly in it ; then rinse them in clean 
boiling water, so that, if the milk was sour, it may not injure 
the next panful. "Wipe them dry with' a clean dish-towel, 
and turn upside-down in their places on the milk-room 
shelves, ready for use. Every milk-room needs fine netting 
over the windows to exclude insects and dust. 

Cream should be skimmed as soon as all of it has risen to 
the surface, and kept in stone-ware till churned. That which 
is kept a week in summer, with additions each day, will 
mould if the whole is not thoroughly stirred up each day ; but, 
where there is cream enough to churn every day, this should 
be done, and then it would be impossible to have bad butter. 
Before using the churn, which should always be kept clean, 
pour in a little boiling water to sweeten the wood, dash it 
around a little, pour out, and, in summer, put in cold water to 
cool it. When cool, put in the cream, and churn it. In very 
hot weather, as soon as it comes pour off the buttermilt;, and 
add cold water to the butter ; this makes it compact and hard 
with a few more strokes of the chum. 

There is a division of opinion as to how much salt is needed 
in butter; but all who buy it will agree that salt, even in 
butter, is not worth from fifty to a hundred cents a pound. 
Butter is ruined, for most tastes, by the enormous quantities 
of salt used ; and some affirm that it is better with none. A 
heaped teaspoon of fine salt to two pounds of butter is the 
most that should ever be used, as this is about the same as 
other food is salted. A double quantity should be put in, as 
much of it is worked out. Take the butter from the churn 
into a pan of clean cold water ; wash out as much buttermilk 
as possible with the hands, and repeat this operation till the 
last water is clean. This advice may shock some persons, who 
fear the sweetness will be washed out ; but water and oil never 
have been made to mix yet, and no washing in cold water can 
injure butter. Make the salt free from lumps, mix it in 
evenly, smooth the butter, and cover it with a clean cotton 
cloth wet in cold water: if left uncovered, as is sometimes 
done, dust blows in, and mixes with it. The next day, when 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 119 

it is hard (as it should be if kept in a cold place), work it over, 
a small lump at a time, using wooden workers made for the 
purpose : these should be scalded, and then rinsed in cold 
water. The best of butter may be made in this way, and kept 
more than one year without a pound of ice, where there is a 
good cellar. If not wanted for immediate use, pack it in a 
clean, sweet firkin, or in stone-ware ; coyer it with a clean 
piece of cotton cloth, and sprinkle a handful of salt over this. 
The cover should fit very closely, and the butter should not be 
disturbed till cut out to eat. Good butter is spoiled if turned 
out of a firkin to be cut up and replaced. 

Those who put any dye-stuff or coloring-matter into butter 
should be handed over to a judge and jury. Butter intended 
for market should be done up either in quarter-pound cakes 
appropriately stamped, or in half-pound or pound lumps. 
Stamped cakes of good butter would sell better, however, than 
in any other form. 

CHEESE. 

When milk becomes sour, it is better to make it into small 
cheeses than to throw it away. Take milk as soon as it is thick- 
ened by souring, tie it in a clean bag, and hang it up to drain 
two or three days out of the way of flies. When hard, remove 
it to a dish, and to one pint of curd add a half-teaspoon of salt 
and the same of ground sage ; mix thoroughly, and to another 
pint of curd add the same quantity of salt, omitting the sage. 
After wetting the hands, mix the two together slightly ; form 
the curd into small round or flat cakes ; put them into a clean 
bag ; and hang up in the sun, or near a fire, to dry. They are 
fit to be eaten in a day or two. 

Cheese from sweet milk is made by using a square inch of 
rennet to each pail of milk, and mixing them when the milk is 
as warm as it is when just milked : in a short time, this will be 
curd. Have a large strainer-cloth laid into a large basket, 
over a tub ; put the curd into this strainer, and let the whey 
drop out into the tub : when all is out, break up and salt the 
curd, using a teaspoon of salt to two quarts of curd. When 



120 THE EOMEEEEPER. 

the salt is well mixed in, put the cloth containing the curd into 
the hoop made to receive it ; put on the board or ^' follower," 
and press the curd about three days, turning it over twice in 
that time to press each side equally. Trim the edges ; cover 
the whole cheese with a coating of lard or butter ; and repeat 
the larding, turning it over once each day, till sufficiently hard 
and ripe to keep well ; or put a cotton-cloth all over the 
cheese, and lard this thoroughly to keep out insects. 

PICKLES. 

In the old method of making pickles, the bright green color 
was retained or produced by boiling vinegar in a brass kettle, 
and pouring it hot on the cucumbers and other pickles. Of 
course, such pickles could not be free from poison. 

Now, pickles manufactured to sell are put up in vinegar 
made from whiskey, and called white-wine vinegar. Any one 
who has read the reports of the internal-revenue officers will 
know how pure whiskey must be made in copper vessels, and 
assisted by sugar of lead and similar articles. Of course, those 
who eat green cucumber pickles eat with them more or less 
poison, unless prepared at home. Good and pure cider-vinegar 
will preserve them green by merely putting them in it when 
cold, with a large spoon of salt to two quarts of vinegar ; and 
a piece of alum as large as a hen's egg to the same quantity of 
vinegar keeps them hard. Peppers improve nearly all other 
pickles if mixed with them, and an incision made in one 
place ; but only a few should be used, or the pickles will be 
too peppery. Spices, also, are an agreeable addition to them, 
especially cloves : tie whole cloves and other spices in a small 
clean bag, and keep this with the pickles in stone or glass 
ware : brown earthen should not be used, as it contains poison. 
Like other preserves, they may be bottled, boiling vinegar, 
prepared as directed, poured over them, and sealed up to keep 
any length of time. 

Green tomatoes have too hard a skin to be eatable, unless 
the vinegar is put on them boiling hot ; and, even then, none 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 121 

but the small ones are fit to use in this way. Peppers improve 
them much. The stalks of celery are an agreeable addition 
to most pickles. Artichokes, string-beans, green gooseberries 
and currants, small muskmelons, martynias, nasturtium-seeds, 
small onions, English walnuts when green, besides many other 
things, are used for pickles. Most of them need only to be put 
in cold vinegar with salt, alum, and spices, or to be bottled, 
and the boiling vinegar poured on them, and then sealed up. 
Capers are an imported pickle used in gravies, and eaten with 
boiled meats or fish. 

CATCHUP. ' 
Peel tomatoes in the usual way ; boil them a half-hour in tin 
or porcelain ; sift through a tin sieve ; and to two quarts of 
sifted tomato put two teaspoons of salt, a half-teaspoon of 
ground cloves, one teaspoon of black pepper, a half-teaspoon 
of ground allspice, and a cup, or less, of cider- vine gar. Per- 
haps some persons would prefer more spice ; but, the less spice, 
the m«re wholesome is the food of any kind. 

CHOW-CHOW. 

Wash four quarts of large green tomatoes ; halve them, and 
put into a preserve-kettle with two quarts of cider-vinegar, one 
large spoon of salt, the same of ground cloves, or more of mixed 
spices, a few whole cloves ; and, as soon as they boil once, 
snatch them from the fire, or they will be too soft. Now put 
in from six to twelve green peppers cut open, and either bot- 
tle and seal the whole, or put in stone jars, and cover. It is 
ready for use. 

PRESERVES. 

Before patent sealed cans came into usef, preserves were usu- 
ally made by putting one pound of prepared fruit of any kind 
with one pound of sugar, with more or less water, according to 
the fruit. Cans, though expensive, are cheaper, if carefully 
used, than using so much sugar every year ; for one-half the 
sugar was not needed to make them good and eatable that was 
required to preserve them ; and then they must be scalded if 
kept long, — perhaps several times. Most fruits are far better 
with less sugar than was formerly used. 



122 THE HOMEKEEPEB. 

There are no glass jars as yet made which will keep fruit 
perfectly air-tight ; and it is not sure to keep unless it is. The 
glass cover does not fall sufi&ciently into the jar to drive out 
the juice ; and, of course, some air remains. If air-huhbles are 
found after filling, and before sealing, insert a wire, and let 
them out. Bottles with wide openings, such as pickles are 
usually sold in, are much better, cheaper, and more easily 
filled, than the patent cans or jars. The sizes should vary 
from a half-pint to two quarts each. Tin cans are a very poor 
investment, as, after the first year, preserves do not taste well 
if kept in them. 

AU glass-ware should be boiled once before using, as it 
renders it less liable to break ; and bottles and cans need boil- 
ing but once. Wash the glass, and put it into a dinner-pot, 
with the iron cross-piece in the bottom; for, if the bottles touch 
the bottom of the pot, they break. Fill up with cold water, 
cover, and, as soon as it boils, take it off the fire, and let it 
remain covered till the water is cold if not to be used soon. 
But, if the cans are to be used immediately for preserves, let 
the pot and bottles remain on the fire, and take one out as 
often as wanted. See that each bottle has a good cork that fits 
it, as new corks are needed every year, and are not expensive. 

The best, cheapest, and cleanest wax that can be used is 
made by pounding two cups of rosin, and scraping fine one 
cup of Bristol-brick dust. Put these into a tin dish, and melt 
together. This wax does not adhere to the clothes and fingers 
as shoemaker's wax does, and is always ready for use by warm- 
ing. Iron, which is the best metal for cooking most things, 
turns fruit a dark color ; and, for this reason, brass and copper 
have been extensively used : but both these metals poison food 
cooked in them, and it is not safe to use them at all. Iron that 
is lined either with tin or porcelain should always be used for 
cooking fruit. Preserves may be put up without sugar; and, if 
they do not keep, the sugar is not lost. Nearly all preserves 
are better, and are not so likely to break, if a very little salt is 
added. 

If bottles containing preserves get broken, the whole had ' 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 123- 

better be thrown away, as broken glass in tbe stomach is liable 
to cause death. Bottles should always be clean when used ; 
and, if the dust or dirt does not come out easily, get a handful 
of pebbles, sand, or gravel ; put it in a bottle together with a 
little soap and warm water ; shake till clean, then rinse several 
times, using hotter water each time : the bottle is then ready to 
be filled. If the bottles are clean and cold, rinse them in three 
waters, having each hotter than the former. They are now 
ready for use. If the fruit is boiled sufficiently, fill the bottle 
entirely full, put in the cork, press it in firmly, and, if much 
of it remains above the bottle, cut it off with a sharp knife ; 
wipe the top of the bottle with a clean dry cloth ; dip it in the 
melted wax, and it is done. Now, if it should be set into a 
pan of cold water to wash the outside of it, the bottle wiU be 
about sure to break : so, when it is cold, wipe it with a wet 
cloth, and put it away where it will not freeze. If the bottle, 
while hot, be carried to a cool room, it will break ; and, for this 
reason, it should remain in the kitchen till cold. 

When one has many preserves to put up, one must work 
very fast to keep matters in a right state. Much juice is 
needed in the preserves to bottle well ; and, if there is a defi- 
ciency, fill up the bottle with boiling water. It is best to use 
white granulated sugar, as it needs no clarifying, and much 
time and labor are saved ; while the cost is only a trifle more 
than that of brown sugar. 

Most fruits should be put into cold water at first, as it best 
preserves their color, and hot water hardens the skin of them. 

Bottles should be labelled, either by tying a piece of paper 
around them, using a solution of gum-tragacanth, or pressing 
it into the wax when hot. When a cork falls into a bottle, it 
may be got out by inserting a string with a hard knot on the 
end, and inverting the bottle : pull the string, and the cork 
comes with it. 

APPLES. 

Apples are good baked, coddled, boiled, or made into various 
kinds of food. 

To bake them, put them into an iron pan with a few drops 



124 THE HOMEEEEPER. 

of water or not, and bake ia the stove-oven till soft, wBich 
will require not much time. 

BOILED. 

Wash and wipe small sweet apples, and, if the skin is 
tough, pare them; but no wormy ones should be used. Put 
three large quarts of them in a preserve-kettle with three- 
fourths of a large quart of cold water and three-fourths of a 
large pint of clean molasses, and boil them till soft, which will 
take about thirty minutes. They will not keep long unless 
sealed up. Porter apples, which are the best kind for cooking, 
do not keep long unless canned or bottled. Wash, pare, quar- 
ter, and core three quarts of ripe apples ; put them in a pre- 
serve-kettle, with cold water enough to nearly cover them ; and 
as soon as they begin to be soft, which will be in a few min- 
utes, fill the cans, seal, and put away when cold. They are 
ready to be made into pies at any time. 



Apples may be sliced or quartered to drj?- ; but the quartered 
ones, strung on twine, retain more of the goodness of the fruit 
than sliced ones : in either case, the hulls should be cut out. 
Sweet apples are not good dried ; but only the sourest ones 
should be used. Apple should be dried by the sun, if possible ; 
but, if the weather is unfavorable, put it in a slightly warm 
oven to finish off. When wanted for use, pick it over, and, if 
it is to be eaten without sifting, cut out all the hulls, if any ; 
wash it clean in two or three waters, soak it all night in cold 
water, and next day half fill a preserve-kettle with it and the 
water in which it soaked. Cover close ; but do not stir it, or it 
will burn if mashed. One hour is enough for it to boil. When 
sifted through a tin sieve, it makes nice tarts or pies, and is 
much better to eat with bread and butter than before sifting. 
A quart of the apple needs a cup or less of sugar. 

JELLY. 

Pare and cut fine fourteen large sweet apples, and boil in 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 125 

two large quarts of water till reduced to one-half the quantity. 
Drain through a jelly-bag ; but do not sift nor press it, as this 
would prevent its transparency. Put a half-pound of sugar to 
a pint of juice ; boil till it will jelly on a cool plate ; and strain 
into moulds. If made of sour apples, one pound of sugar to 
a pint of juice is needed. 

MARMALADE. 

Stew two quarts of pared and cored sour apples in one 
quart of water, cold at first, and, when soft, sift them, and to 
one large pint of sifted apple put half as much sugar, and 
flavor if wanted. Beturn the apple to the kettle, and boil, 
without burning, fifteen to thirty minutes, and put into glasses 
or moulds. Tie a paper over each. 

STEWED. 

Pare any kind of ripe apples ; and if the quarters are put 
immediately into cold water, and cooked in it, they retain their 
whiteness if not stewed too long. Put a pint of cold water 
with three pints of pared and quartered apples ; set all over a 
good fire, cover close, and cook ten minutes, or till soft. Turn 
out carefully, and serve with meat ; or sweeten them to eat 
with bread and butter. A very little salt and grated nutmeg 
improve them. 

SWEET PICKLED. 

Pare, quarter, and core four pounds and a half of sweet 
apples, and put them in a kettle with three-fourths of a pound 
of sugar, a half-cup of cider-vinegar, a half-teaspoon of salt, 
a half-teaspoon of ground cloves, and one cup or more of cold 
water. Boil till soft ; can and seal. 

BANANAS. 

Bananas have a taste some like muskmelons. They are not 
improved by cooking, yet may be preserved to taste as well 
as when raw. Boil them two or three minutes in a little 
water, with a teaspoon of sugar to each banana, and bottle ; or 
put them raw in a bottle, fill it with boiling water, and seal. 



126 THE EOMEKEEPER. 

BAEBEREIES. 
One small quart of barberries, after being picked from tbe 
stems, weighs about one pound. Wash the fruit till the- last 
water is clean ; and, if a large quantity is cooked at once, a 
deep kettle is needed, as they often boil over. Put with four 
quarts of the berries four quarts of the best molasses, and a 
pound of sugar. Boil all together till the berries are soft, 
which will be in a few minutes ; skim them into a stone jar 
with a cover that fits it. Have ready a half-peck of large 
sweet apples, pared, quartered, and cored ; cook them in the 
molasses till soft ; take them out, and put with the barberries ; 
and pour the liquid over all. To keep well, it should be canned 
and sealed ; and, in this case, it would be best to return the 
berries to the kettle as soon as the apple is soft, and then can 
all as soon as it boils again. 

NUMBEK TWO. 

With one small quart of barberries put one cup of sugar, 
a half-cup to a cup of cold water, a pinch of salt, and boil them 
from five to ten minutes before bottling. If large quantities 
be done at once, commence to bottle as soon as they boil.- 

NUMBER THREE. 

Put eight pounds of sugar with ten pounds of barberries 
and three pints of cold water. Boil, bottle, and seal. The 
juice of this, mixed with water, makes a nice drink for sick 
persons. 

BLACKBERRIES. 

Pick over the ripe fruit ; sprinkle on a little sugar ; let them 
remain from twelve to twenty-four hours j and they are very 
nice with bread. 

CORDIAL. 

This fruit is considered an excellent remedy for dysentery 
and a tendency in that direction : the roots are also used as 
a remedy for disease of the bowels. Stew four small quarts of 
low-bush blackberries fifteen minutes with little or no water ; 
strain through a jelly-bag, pressing out all the juice, of which 



THE HOMEKEEPEB. 127 

there will be about a quart. Put with it a pound and a half 
(or three cups) of white sugar, a half-teaspoon each of ground 
cloves, allspice, and cinnamon, and half a nutmeg. Boil all 
five minutes ; bottle, seal, and label. Do not give too much 
of it to a child at once : a few teaspoonfuls of it in a day, at 
intervals, is enough. 

JAM. 

Pick over two quarts of ripe blackberries, and put into a 
preserve-kettle with just water enough to cover the bottom 
of the kettle, and one cup of sugar. Let them boil one or two 
minutes 5 bottle and seal. 

CHEREY-JAM. - 

To one quart of cherries, after the stones are taken out, put 
one-fourth as much sugar in measure. Boil five minutes, and 
bottle. 

Children should never be allowed to eat cherries unless the 
stones are removed, as they often swallow them, and sometimes 
in such quantities as to cause death. A skilful physician used 
to order mouldy cheese to be given to persons who had become 
sick by eating too many cherries. 

CITRON. 
Pare, and slice it very thin, taking out the seeds, and quar- 
tering the slices ; or cut it lengthwise as a muskmelon is 
marked. To two pounds and a half of citron, weighed after 
it is ready to be cooked, add two cups (or one pound) of sugar, 
two cups of cold water, and the , juice and grated rind of a 
lemon. Boil an hour (or till soft) ; can and seal. 

CRAB-APPLES. 

Wash them in cold water, and cut out the cores with a 
pointed knife. Nearly cover them in a preserve-kettle with 
cold water ; add a half-pound of sugar to each pound of fruit. 
Boil till soft ; bottle and seal. 

CRANBERRIES. 
Pick, over and wash one large quart of cranberries, and put 



128 THE EOMEEEEPER. 

into a preserve-kettle with a half-cup of good molasses and one 
cup of cold water, and boil till they begin to pop open, or 
about ten minutes. If boiled long, the skins become tough. 
The longer they are cooked, the poorer they are, unless 
sifted. 

NUMBER TWO. 

One quart of cranberries, a pint of cold water, and cook 
them about ten minutes. When done, add a half-cup of sugar. 



MARMALADE. 

Boil two quarts of cranberries in a quart of water thirty 
minutes, and sift them. Add a pint of sugar ; cook five min- 
utes, and pour into glasses previously warmed in water. The 
longer it is kept, the harder it becomes. 

CURKANTS. 
Currants will do to use as soon as turned red, but are better 
to remain on the bushes till the leaves have dropped off, as 
this allows the sun to ripen them. Always wash them on the 
stems before picking over, as there is always dust on them, 
and sometimes poisons used on the vines to destroy the insects ; 
and, if washed on the stems, neither of these things can be 
washed inside of the fruit. The juice of currants makes a 
nice and refreshing drink, especially for sick persons. After 
the fruit is washed, press it through a jelly-bag; heat the juice 
to boiling ; bottle and seal. When used, mix it with sugar 
and water. 

JAM. 

Twelve cups of currants, three cups of sugar, and one cup 
of cold water. Begin to bottle as soon as they begin to boil. 
This makes a nice preserve to eat with meats. 

NUMBER TWO. 

Put a pound of sugar with two pounds of currants, and boU 
from ten to twenty minutes 



I 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 129 

NUMBER THKEE. 

Two pounds of currants, a pound and a half of sugar, but 
no water. Boil twenty minutes, and bottle. 



Wash the currants, but not pick them from the stems ; put 
them into a jelly-bag, and press out the juice. To each pint 
of juice add a pound (or two cups) of sugar, and boil all about 
twenty minutes; then strain into moulds or jelly-glasses. 
Melted butter, poured over the top of the jelly after it becomes 
cold, preserves it well. Some persons do not boil this jelly, but 
prepare it as above, and set it in an oven a short time, or in 
the sunlight for several days. 

DATES. 

Dates are an excellent remedy for constipated bowels, as well 

as a very agreeable fruit. They are better to eat as usually 

sold than to be made into a sauce. They do not present an 

inviting appearance ; but they should be separated and washed 

before being carried to the table, and their 'appearance is 

much improved. Eemove the stones before children eat this 

fruit. 

EGG-PLANT. 

The egg-plant is better when preserved than cooked in any 
other way. Pare it, cut in slices, and quarter them ; or cut 
in fanciful shapes if preferred. To a large quart of the pre- 
pared fruit add half a cup of sugar, a saltspoon of salt, one 
cup of cold water, a large spoon of lemon-juice, and boil from 
three-fourths of an hour to an hour, or till soft. Can and 
seal. 

FRUIT. 

The best time to eat fruit is in the season of it, when it is 
in perfection, and needs little or no sugar to help it; and it 
should always be ripe and fresh when used. There is no kind 
of food which children like so well as fruit ; and it is a most 
erroneous notion that it injures them. The want of it tempts 
many boys to take it wherever they find it ; and perhaps their 



130 TEE HOMEKEEPER. 

parents are more to "be blamed for withholding it than they 
are for taking it. Few men are so poor that they cannot own 
a few fruit-trees and a spot of ground on which to grow them ; 
and, if they cannot own land and trees, fruit is much cheaper 
than tobacco and alcohol. The men who provide plenty of 
fruit for their children are usually the ones who do not spend 
money in tobacco and other hurtful indulgences. 

There is one caution in eating fruit ; and children should be 
compelled to heed it. They should be forbidden to eat the 
parings, as herein lies all the injury which fruit is capable of 
doing. The skin of a peach is not much better to eat than 
flannel would be. Delicate fruits are nearly all water, and 
require a covering thick and stout enough to protect the rich 
interior. Children should be taught to notice the difference, 
and leave the pig's share for him. All fruit should be pared 
for them till they are old enough to pare it for themselves. . If 
fruit is set on the breakfast and dinner table, children will 
most likely get satisfied with it before bedtime ; at which time 
they need but little food. It would be an excellent plan to 
have it for breakfast and dinner all the year, each kind in its 
season : not so much meat would be eaten, and better health 
would result. We cannot say too much in favor of giving 
children all the fruit they want : if it costs more than bread, 
it saves doctors' bills. Eipe fruit will cure a teething diarrhoea 
without aid ; at least, as much as it ought to be cured. It is 
about all the medicine needed in most cases. 

GOOSEBEREIES. 
There are two kinds of gooseberries, one of which is covered 
with thorns a fourth of an inch in length. They are of little 
use unless stewed and sifted. The large varieties of the smooth 
kind are very nice without cooking, being almost or quite as 
good as the best plums. A glass dish of them, well picked and 
washed, is an ornament to the table, 

JAM. 

Pick over two pounds of ripe' gooseberries, and put with 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 131 

tliem, in a kettle, two pounds of sugar and a few drops of 
water to prevent burning. Boil about twenty minutes ; can 
and seal. 

JELLY. 

Boil the berries twenty minutes in a little water, and drain 
through a jelly-bag. To one small pint of juice add a pound 
of sugar. Boil twenty minutes longer, and strain into jelly- 

GEAPES. 
Grapes are very wholesome as food, and also very beautiful, 
in their large clusters, as table-ornaraents. 

JAM. 

One large quart of Isabella or other good grapes, one cup of 
sugar, one cup of cold water. Boil from five to ten minutes ; bot- 
tle and seal. Or use a small pint and a half of grapes, two 
cups of sugar, and one cup of cold water ; and, as soon as it has 
boiled two or three minutes, bottle and seal. 

JELLY. 

Wash grapes, and put into a preserve-kettle, with cold water 
enough to cover the bottom of the kettle ; stew ten minutes, 
sift, and add to it one-half its measure of sugar. Boil twenty 
minutes, and put in glasses. 

HONEY. 
First get the boney, which will be somewhat difficult for 
those who do not keep bees. To remove the honey from the 
wax, or honeycomb, put both into a clean bag made for the 
purpose, and washed ; and hang the bag from the ceiling of 
the attic or some unused room, having a firkin under the bag 
to catch the honey as it drains out. Some persons who cannot 
eat raw honey bring it to a boil over the fire, and firkin it for 
use. It becomes candied with sugar if long kept. Water is 
put with the refuse in the bag ; and a drink called " metheg- 
iin " is made by boiling and straining it. The wax remaining 
in the bag is boiled, and allowed to cool in a tub of cold water. 



132 THE HOMEEEEPER. 

HUCKLEBEEEIES. 
Huckleberries are a very wholesome fruit; and children 
should be allowed to eat all they want of them. Especially do 
children need them when teething; and, instead of injuring 
the bowels, they benefit them, and check a diarrhoea all it 
should be checked. They usually prefer them raw ; and many 
persons prefer them so, with a little sugar. The}'- do not last 
long; and we should live on them as much as possible while 
they do last. They are very good boiled a few minutes with 
one-fourth as much good molasses, in measure, as berries, either 
for immediate use or for bottling. They may be preserved with 
little labor by putting them raw into a bottle, filling the bot- 
tle with boiling water, and sealing them up. Done in this way, 
they keep well, and make good pies. Another way is to boil 
three large quarts of berries with a cup of cold water ten min- 
utes : this fills a jar holding two quarts, and should be sealed. 
Or sugar may be added while boiling, in the proportion of one 
cup to four or five cups of berries. Then it will be ready, 
when opened, to eat with bread, or for pies. 

JELLIES. 
Jellies, to be clear, should have the juice of the fruifc drained 
instead of pressed out ; and, to be stiff, as little water as possi- 
ble should be used ; and allow one pound (or pint) of sugar to 
one pint of juice, and boil till it becomes jelly, taking care it 
does not burn ; then wet the tumblers in hot water, drain, and 
they are ready to receive the jelly. Most persons would prefer 
it with more water, and less sugar, for immediate use ; but it 
would be thin, and would not keep long unless bottled. Jel- 
lies are sometimes dried in the sun several days, or even weeks, 
after being made. Some manufacturers of jellies, it is said, 
make all kinds from apples, and flavor it to suit the name, 
probably with strong acids best known to chemists. 

LEMONS. 
There is no nicer flavor for a multitude of articles than 
lemon ; but it should not be put into every dish. Those who 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 133 

would have a pure and safe article had better prepare it for 
themselves. Lemons are cheapest and most plentiful in January 
and a few weeks or months following. Those which are on sale 
the last half of the year are inferior in quality, though supe- 
rior in price, to those arriving in the winter and spring. The 
best way is to buy as many as needed for a year's stock in 
the family when they are plenty and cheap, as the juice, when 
pressed out, will keep a long time, — some say for years. There 
is frequently dirt in the pits of the skin, which requires a stiff 
brush to remove : it would be best to keep one for that and 
other uses in cooking. Brush, wash, and wipe the lemons, and 
grate off the yellow part of the rind, allowing none of the white 
to go with it, as it is bitter. After cutting the lemon in two 
or three pieces, press out the juice with a lemon-press, and 
throw the refuse into a little clean cold water. When all are 
pressed, press them a second time, and save this liquid for 
immediate use as lemonade, and throw away the refuse. The 
average quantity of juice is two large spoonfuls to each lemon. 
Put this with the grated rind into a pickle-bottle or a pitcher, 
with two large spoons of sugar to each lemon. The most of 
the grated rind may be spooned off and kept in a bottle by 
itself to flavor pies, puddings, sauces, and cake ; but a little of 
it should be left on the juice, as it helps to preserve it. When 
wanted for lemonade, stir it up well, and a teaspoon or two of 
it with water will make a glass of nice lemonade. For a pie, 
stir it up, and use four large spoons of the juice, together with 
a teaspoon of the grated rind : this is equal to one lemon. 

MAPLE-SAP. 
Maple sap or molasses is almost or quite as nice as honey, 
unless adulterated with cheap Southern molasses, as is some- 
times the case. The best substitute for the real article is to 
purchase maple-sugar which is cooled and sold in firkins. Put 
some of it in a preserve-kettle with a very little water, let it 
boil, and it is ready for use, unless it needs straining, which 
probably it will. There is a great difference in the qualities 
of maple-sugar, some being dark, and not particularly clean, 



134 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

as it is made in iron kettles used for other purposes. Some, 
if not all, of that which has a light color, is made and cooled 
in copper and zinc vessels ; so that it is quite as safe to eat the 
dark kinds as the light. 

MEDLEY. 

When there is a small quantity in each of several kinds of 
fruit, a very good sauce may be made by mixing them together. 
Green gooseberries, ripe currants, strawberries, and cherries, 
with nearly or quite one-half the measure of sugar and a 
little water, make a good preserve, either to seal up or for 
present use. 

ORANGES. 

Oranges are much better to eat raw than cooked ; but they 
may be preserved, if wanted. Take the rinds from four 
oranges, and quarter them ; put them in a preserve-kettle with 
a cup of cold water, and a teaspoon of sugar to each orange ; 
boil fifteen or twenty minutes ; bottle and seal. Oranges 
peeled, divided, and set on the table with sugar on them, are 
an agreeable as well as wholesome food. 

PEACHES. 
This fruit is nice with bread, when pared, sliced, and sugared. 
E-ipe peaches are much better to preserve than green ones. 
Pirst wash and wipe them ; pare the skin off, but leave the 
stones in if wanted so. To four large quarts of them put 
two cups of the best molasses, one cup of cold water, and boil 
till soft, but not broken. A cover keeps the steam in ; and this 
cooks the top as fast as those at the bottom cook. As soon as 
done, bottle and seal. 

NUMBER TWO. 

Four quarts prepared as before, one cup of sugar, and a cup 
of cold water. 

NUMBER THREE. 

Pare them, and take out the stones by cutting the peaches 
in halves. To one quart of the prepared fruit put one large 
spoon of sugar and a little water ; and, as soon as they boil, 
bottle and seal. They are very nice done so, if the fruit is ripe. 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 135 

NUMBER FOUR. 

Four quarts of pared peaches with the stones in, one to two 
cups of sugar (or one cup of sugar and half a cup of molasses), 
and one cup of cold water. Boil, bottle, and seal. 

PEAKS. 
The natural fruit of the pear-tree is usually smaU, hard, and 
sour ; hut it is an excellent preserve when boiled. Wash and 
quarter eighteen quarts of them, and add four quarts of good 
molasses and two quarts of water. Boil till soft ; can and seal. 
Or pare, but not quarter, them, and do in the same way. 
These small hard pears are excellent for sauce if dried. Pare, 
quarter, and dry them in the sun as apples are dried. They 
will keep years ; and, when wanted for use, soak them a while 
in cold water, and boil them in the same water. Some small 
native pears are so puckery, that they cannot be used in any 
other way ; but, when dried, they lose their disagreeable quali- 
ties, and are really valuable. 

NUMBER TWO. 

Wash whole sound pears, and fill a baking-pan with them ; 
then put in sufficient cold water and molasses, in equal quan- 
tities, to half cover them, and bake till soft. Eat them while 
warm, if wanted. 

NUMBER THREE. 

A syrup may be made of pears. Pare and quarter twelve 
pounds of ripe Bartlett pears, and put with them, in a kettle, 
two pounds of pure maple-sugar. Boil till soft, drain through 
a jelly-bag, and bring to a boil once. Bottle and seal. The 
pears remaining are good for present use. 

NUMBER FOUR. 

Pears are nice made in a sweet pickle, as it is called. To 
nine pounds of the pared and quartered fruit add three pounds 
of sugar, a half-pint of good vinegar, a large spoon of whole 
cloves or a teaspoon of ground cloves, and three or four cups 



136 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

of water. A handful of ripe plum-tomatoes to each quart of 
pears improves the whole. 

NUMBER FIVE. 

Here is another sweet pickle, made without the trouhle of 
weighing the fruit. Four quarts of pared and quartered pears, 
one cup of sugar, a saltspoon of salt, the juice and grated rind 
of one lemon, or two large spoons of vinegar, one teaspoon of 
ground cloves, and two cups of cold water. Boil till soft ; can 
and seal. 

PINE-APPLE. 
Pine-apple is better raw than looked. When sliced, and set 
away in sugar, it is not as nice as cut fresh when used. It 
may be preserved by using one-half its weight of sugar, and 
boiling a few minutes : it should then be bottled. 

PLUMS. 
A pound and a half of Damson plums, a half-pound of 
sugar, and half a cup of cold water. Boil five minutes or less ; 
bottle and seal. 

NUMBER TWO. 

Two small quarts of plums, two cups (or one pound) of 
sugar, a saltspoon of salt, and a cup of cold water. Boil five 
minutes ; bottle and seal. 

PRUNES. 
Prunes need a great deal of washing. Boil them in an 
equal measure of water, cold at first, thirty minutes, and then 
add a little sugar. If not for present use, bottle and seal. 

QUINCES. 
Quinces are not ripe till they become yellow ; and this will 
not be before the last of October. Pirst cut out the blossom 
without cutting the fruit at all ; then wash them, and wipe on 
a clean dish-towel ; pare, quarter, and core them, cutting rather 
deep, as the core is very hard unless cooked a very long time. 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 137 

Weigh the prepared fruit, and weigh an equal weight of 
sugar, putting it near by for use when wanted. It must be 
remembered that a slow fire is better for this fruit, as violent 
boiling will cause it to break before it is cooked enough, or it 
might burn to the kettle. Boil two pounds and a half of pre- 
pared fruit in a large quart of cold water thirty minutes ; 
then add a saltspoon of salt, two pounds and a half of sugar, 
and boil slowly one hour longer. Done in this way, the quince 
is soft, but not broken, red and handsome, and as nice as any 
preserve need be. Bottle and seal ; but leave it in a warm 
room tiU cold, or the glass wiU break. 

JELLY. 

Prepare a half-peck of quinces as before directed ; weigh and 
boil one half of them in one large quart of water, cold at first, 
thirty to forty-five minutes ; take them out carefully with a 
fork, and lay them on a platter ; put the other half of the 
quinces in the juice ; and, if it boils away too much, add a pint 
of cold water, and boil like the others. If a porcelain kettle 
is used, probably the juice will have to be emptied out, and 
the kettle washed, or the second lot will burn to the bottom 
of it. When boiled the same length of time as the first lot, 
take them out, measure the juice, and to one large pint of it 
put one pound of the sugar. Boil twenty minutes or more, 
and put it in glasses. This will be a beautiful red jelly. 

Boil the parings and cores, if clean, in one large pint of water, 
cold at first, thirty minutes ; drain through a jelly-bag; and 
to one large pint of juice add one pound of other sugar than 
that already weighed. Boil twenty minutes or more, and put 
into glasses. This jelly is usually yellow. The juices from 
the fruit and from the cores and rinds may be mixed ; but the 
jelly will not be of quite so deep a red. There is nothing so 
good for a cough, which keeps children awake nights in win- 
ter, as this jelly ; and a good stock of it should be prepared 
ready for use. The gum in the cores stops that tickling in the 
throat which often accompanies a cough. 

Boil the parings again in another large pint of water as be- 



138 THE EOMEKEEPER. 

fore, and press all through a jelly-bag, getting out all the juice. 
Take this juice, together with the quinces, and put into the pre- 
serve-kettle, with a large pint of cold water and the remain- 
der of the sugar (some having been taken out for the first jelly), 
also a saltspoon of salt ; and boil long enough to make an hour 
and a half that the quinces have boiled ; then bottle and seal. 

MARMALADE. 

Pare and quarter as directed in the first paragraph, and boil 
first without the sugar, as they soften quicker so. Put three 
pounds of quinces in a kettle with one large quart of cold water, 
and boil slowly thi-ee-fourths of an hour ; then add three pounds 
of sugar, and boil all one hour and a fourth, or till all are soft 
enough to mash fine with a spoon ; mash or sift them, and pack 
in glasses. If the water boils away too much, put in a little : 
if there is too much, boil it away. 

Many persons would prefer this kind of preserve not so 
sweet ; and three-fourths of a pound of sugar to one pound of 
prepared fruit would be sufficient if bottled. Sometimes an 
equal quantity of sweet apples is cooked with the quinces, and 
can hardly be detected as a substitute, tasting much like quince. 
In this case, the same quantity of sugar is used as without the 
apple ; but perhaps a little more water would be needed if the 
apples were not juicy. Quinces are sometimes baked, and eaten 
with sugar. 

RASPBERRIES. 

The raspberry is so sweet a fruit, that it needs no sugar when 
eaten raw, and not so much to preserve it as other fruit. Pick 
over a pound of ripe red raspberries, and put into a preserve- 
kettle with half a pound of sugar. Let it simmer an hour or 
less ; and put it into glasses, as it keeps well without sealing. 
Boiled with less sugar and a little water, it would be a nice 
preserve, and keep well if bottled. 

RHUBARB. 
Phubarb-jelly is an excellent remedy for what is called the 
summer-complaint. People do not use as much of this excel- 






TEE EOMEKEEPER. 139 

lent plant as health requires, — probably because it takes consid- 
erable sugar to make it agreeable ; but the same persons who 
think they cannot afford this delightful spring medicine pro- 
vided by Nature are the very ones who pay physicians the 
most money to drug them. Every one to his or her taste. 
First wash the stalks (the leaves are poisonous, and never 
should be used) ; peel, and cut them fine ; put them into a pre- 
serve-kettle with water enough to cover the bottom of the ket- 
tle ; stew it till soft, and press the juice through a jelly-bag. 
To one small pint of juice add one pound (or two cups) of sugar. 
Boil twenty or thirty minutes, and put into glasses. 

STEAWBEREIES. 

Strawberries, if ripe, are as nice raw as any way : they may 
be sprinkled with sugar, and set away a few hours. Usually 
they are carried to market before fully ripe, and require almost 
as much sugar to make them eatable as rhubarb does. Cover 
the bottom of the preserve-kettle with water, and put one-half 
or three-fourths of a cup of sugar to two cups of strawberries. 
Let them boil only one or two minutes. Bottle and seal. 

SWEET PICKLES. 
Almost any kind of fruit may be preserved in this way : To 
nine pounds of prepared fruit put three pounds of sugar, from 
one to two cups of vinegar (or use lemons instead), a large 
spoon of whole cloves or a teaspoon of ground ones, and water 
sufficient to can. Boil till soft ; can and seal. 

TOMATOES. 

Tastes differ much in regard to the preparation of this fruit 
or vegetable ; yet all who like it agree that it is a most whole- 
some article of diet. It is said, that, when eaten, it produces 
all the benefit, without the injury, that calomel does. 

Pour boiling water over the tomatoes in a pan, and let them 
remain in it just one minute to loosen the skins. Pour off the 
water, and peel them with a sharp shoe-knife, which will do it 
without takinec off the entire circumference of the fruit. Set 



140 THE EOMEEEEPER. 

them on tlie table in a glass -disli, and let all season for them- 



Those persons who like them boiled from three to five hours 
should cook them so ; but they lose their freshness by being so 
long cooked. It is better to peel, and stew them only fifteen 
minutes, then bottle and seal; or sift them, heat again, and 
bottle. 

Another way to preserve them is to wash and sift the ripe, 
raw tomatoes through a tin sieve ; heat it till it boils ; bottle 
and seal. 

Still another way is to scald, peel, and put them whole in a 
can ; shake them down well, fill the can full of boiling water, 
and seal. Some persons like them made into a sweet pickle. 
For directions, see the preceding recipe. 

TOMATO-FIGS. 
Remove the skins of tomatoes ; weigh, and put them in a 
stone jar with an equal weight of sugar, allowing them to re- 
main two days ; then pour off the syrup, and boil and skim it 
until no scum rises. Pour this syrup over the tomatoes, and 
let them remain in it two days as before. Then pour off the 
syrup, boil, and skim it again, pouring it over the tomatoes to 
remain another two days. After the third time, they are fit to 
dry ; and, if the weather is suitable, spread them on earthen 
plates or clean smooth boards, and dry them in the sun ; but, 
if the weather is not favorable, let them remain in the syrup 
till it is. When thoroughly dried, pack them in wooden boxes 
or in tumblers. The syrup need not be wasted, as it is excel- 
lent to sweeten mince-pie meat ; or fresh tomatoes may be 
preserved in it. 

DKINKS AND LIQUIDS. 

"What shaU we eat?" or, "What shall we drink?" have 
become more serious questions than they once were ; for nearly 
every article of food and drink is more or less mixed with poison- 
ous substances. No one of sense now doubts that all liquors 



THE HOMEKEEPEB. 141 

sold are adulterated, or mixed with poison. Sometimes we read 
in the newspapers of boys dying almost instantly by drinking a 
glass of whiskey. An advocate of moderate drinking would say 
it was because boys are unused to it ; and this might seem some- 
what of a reason for it : but we also read, occasionally, of men 
dying instantly from the same cause. Ale, light wines, and 
tobacco are said to cause delirium tremens even when used mod- 
erately. He who has lost control of himself by the use of al- 
coholic beverages, should, sooner than the otherwise insane, be 
placed in an asylum, and treated as a sick person. If taken in 
season, it is probable that nearly all might be cured. It is es- 
timated, that, in this country, sixty thousand persons annually 
die the victims of intemperance. Dr. Cuyler says, " Intem- 
perance never will be checked until the members of Christ's 
church all feel that they are also members of Christ's great 
temperance society. What a burlesque it is to style that church 
organization the ' salt of the earth ' which has a trimmer in its 
pulpit, and tipplers in its pews ! " 

Not till the church of Christ gives up celebrating what they 
call his supper with intoxicating poison will its male members 
give it up in private. Many a deacon finds its allurements too 
strong for him. Pious drinkers are constantly reminding us 
of the miracle at the wedding in Cana. But what of it ? They 
never tasted that wine ; and certainly there is no miracle in 
wine-making now. On the first reading of it, it would seem 
that those Jews were so addicted to wine-drinking, that they 
had forgotten how water tasted ; but as the governor of the 
feast was delighted with it, and pronounced it good wine, it 
was probably some heavenly drink, before and since unknown 
to mortals, as we do not read that anybody was intoxicated at 
that wedding. He who preached the new and strange doctrine 
of unselfishness, and died that others might live, would not 
and could not make such vile stuff as is now called wine. He 
did not think so much more of man's animal than his spiritual 
nature as to make wine merely to gratify the appetite : he had 
a higher object in view, — to catch the attention by a miracle 
that the lowest could appreciate, in order to get a hearing, 



142 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

wlien tlie time came, for those sublime mysteries he came to 
teach. 

In view of these facts, no recipes are here given for making 
any thing, which, even in its purest state, works only evil, 
and that continually. 

COFFEE. 

Coffee may have its us'es ; but one of them certainly is not 
as a daily drink. It may be useful in some diseases, as a resto- 
rative when others fail, as a cure for poisoning, or in war, just 
before a battle, when some need a stimulant. Persons who use 
it constantly cannot live as long as they would without it ; for 
it keeps one constantly excited and restless. 

The best variety of coffee, so considered, is that called Mocha, 
" but seldom seen in America or Europe ; " Java comes next ; 
then Jamaica and Brazilian. Much depends on making it. 
It should be roasted in an oven till browned, not burned, 
through ; and, when cold, it should be kept in a tight box. It 
never should be ground before it is time to make it ; and then 
a pot should be used which retains all the steam, as through 
this the most delicate part of it escapes, if allowed to. Tin is 
the best material in use for a coffee-pot ; and no copper nor 
pewter vessels should be used in making it. It never should 
be made more than ten minutes before being used, and should 
steep, or boil slowly, about this length of time. Have a strainer 
for the pot ; and, whatever kind of coffee is used, it is much im- 
proved with the addition of thick cream. Some prefer the milk 
and sugar boiled with it ; others, equally good judges of good 
things, prefer them separate. Prepared coffee is unsafe to use 
as whole families have been poisoned by drinking adulterated 
coffee. The cheapest kind that is ground ready for sale is 
made largely from the crusts of bread which immigrants have 
remaining when they arrive in this country: it should be 
remembered that their facilities for bathing on board ship are 
not very good. 

Nearly all ground coffee is adulterated ; and many kinds of 
articles are used, some of them being poisonous, and others of 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 143 

a harmless but worthless nature. It is said that at least 
eighteen different articles have been used; and among them are 
sawdust, oak-bark, baked horse-liver, and Venetian red, — ■ a 
dark-colored pigment. 

TEA. 

Tea-chests are always lined with lead ; and for this reason, 
if for no other, its use should be abandoned. The best tea 
is, like coifee, semi-intoxicating : if this is doubted, notice how 
it loosens the tongues at a " party " which were comparatively 
silent before : one would think Babel had come again. But 
even the best we get in this country would hardly suit a China- 
man. It has been asserted by those who ought to know, that 
no tea ever leaves China till the native has had the first use of 
it by pouring hot water over it, and drinking it. It is fortu- 
nate for American young women who drink tea that the Chi- 
naman does so, as what remains of strength in it is sufficient 
to turn the finest complexion yellow. The leaves are then 
dried, and sold to foreigners : but it is also asserted that the 
English, not satisfied with this, after making it on the table 
somewhat after the Chinese fashion, dry the leaves, color them, 
and then it is sent to Jonathan as good enough for his fam- 
ily; and the unsuspecting American housekeeper boils and 
boils it to get a little " strength " out of it, till, after a half- 
hour's boiling, it is carried to the table, and called tea. It does 
not appear certain whether green tea is colored artificially, or 
whether it is a different species of the tea-shrub; but it is 
generally considered superior in taste to black tea. There are 
several grades of black tea sold in this country ; but very few 
of them are inviting to the taste. The most of it is of very 
poor quality, although the price is large enough. Good tea 
should be made in a clean pot, tin, if not rusty, and boiled 
once, or at most only one minute, and served immediately. 
Such tea as the most we have can be boiled any length of time, 
and is not inviting, whether cooked much or little. A better 
drink for daily use than either tea or coffee — and it need not 
cause a smile — is hot water, tempered agreeably with cream 



144 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

or milk, and sweetened with sugar. Certainly children never 
should drink any thing stronger : or rather they should not 
drink any thing stimulating ; for, if they do, it is hard to gov- 
ern them. Milk is the best drink for them in summer ; and 
chocolate, if they like it, in winter. Here is an extract from a 
newspaper : — 

" A child in New York, aged two years and eleven months, 
being left alone for a short time in a room, and the teapot 
being easily accessible, drank a quantity of the tea, and died 
in a few hours. A verdict in alccordance with the facts was 
rendered." 

CHOCOLATE. 

This subject opens more pleasantly, as chocolate is not at all 
stimulating, while it is very nourishing, and is equally suitable 
for children — even those six months of age — as for adults. 
" Cocoa-nibs " are said to be the purest state in which we can 
get cocoa here. If we had hand-mills powerful enough to 
grind them, we could have a pure drink. Some manufacturers" 
of chocolate adulterate the cocoa with a great deal of flour : 
this would make it too hard, so lard is added to soften it ; then 
it is too light-colored, and it is colored with ochre. 

Baker's chocolate is supposed to be the best made in this 
region, and as pure as any. Directions are given on each 
package for making it; but the quantity of milk, sugar, and 
chocolate, may be varied to suit tastes. It should not Boil 
long ; and, as soon as it rises to the top of the kettle or sauce- 
pan, pour it in the urn, and serve. It is not good boiled 
without the milk and sugar, neither is it as good heated a 
second time. 

It is said to be the national beverage of both Spain and 
Italy. It should be of the United States, as tlie inhabitants 
need it more than do any other people. 

Por infants of six months and upwards, make it as follows : 
Boil one cup of good milk with one cup of water ; add a heaped 
teaspoon of Baker's chocolate, scraped fine, and three teaspoons 
of sugar. Boil one to three minutes, and add enough cold milk 
to make it milk-warm. 



TEE HOMEEEEPER. 145 

LEMONADE. 

This is a wholesome and an excellent drink ; unlike ferment- 
ed drinks, it satisfies thirst, and would be an efficient help in 
curing the intemperate.. Such would do well to have a bottle 
of lemon-juice, prepared as directed in preserves, always on the 
table : one large spoon of it makes an agreeable glass of lemon- 
ade. When the fruit is used, one lemon, with two large 
spoons of sugar, makes a quart of lemonade with water. A 
little of the grated rind is good in it, if the lemon was washed 
first ; but the skin, or white part, never should be allowed in it, 
as it is bitter. If lemons must swim around in it, put in 
whole ones, as they will not injure, but improve, the flavor. 
Some have strawberries floating around ; and others use the 
juice only of this berry. Currant-juice would give it a fine 
color. 

ICE -WATER. 

This is harmless, unless the person is over-heated by exer- 
cise: in that case, warm drinks are best. Water running 
through lead-pipes contains particles of lead; and these are 
poison. Galvanized pipes are no better : deaths have result- 
ed from using -water passing through them. Copper is no 
better. l>5"either lead, copper, zinc, nor any other poisonous 
metal, should ever be allowed in wells, cisterns, or reservoirs. 
People should refuse to drink such water, as there is no excuse 
for using it. Hard water is considered best for drink, as there 
are ingredients in it which the human system needs to con- 
duce to strength. Those who habitually use hard water are 
said to be superior in strength and endurance to those who 
use only rain or soft water. Agreeable drinks may be made 
by mixing the juice of acid fruits -with water and a little 
sugar. 

VINEGAR. 

No vinegar is fit to be. used but that made from cider; and 
there is nothing hurtful in this. Three or four years are 
required to make good strong vinegar from cider ; and the 
fruit-grower should have a room devoted to its use, where it 
will- be free fi-om dirt and odors. A cellar will not always be 

10 



146 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

tlie best place ; but it must be kept where it will not freeze, as 
freezing injures it. When it is made, it should be bottled and 
labelled, or put into clean casks, as, the more the air comes to 
it, the sourer it becomes. " The Scientific American " says, that, 
in manufacturing vinegar, " sulphuric, nitric, and hydrocloric 
acids are all used ; though sulphuric acid, as the cheapest and 
sourest thing that can be found, is chiefly used. This, how- 
ever, is very destructive to pickles and whatever is placed in 
it for preservation, and very injurious to the health of those 
who use the vinegar made of it. A gallon of the stuff called 
vinegar can be made, for a cent or two, from sulphuric acid 
and water, with some coloring-matter." 

SOAP. 

The best potash is light-colored, and not rusty in appear- 
ance. Dissolve twenty-five pounds of it in boiling water ; melt 
seventeen pounds of grease with it ; and add water, hot or cold, 
sufficient to make a barrel or more of soap, stirring it daily 
from the bottom till it is made. Einds may be cleaned by 
boiling them in potash-water, such as they are kept in through 

the summer. 

HARD SOAP. 

The best hard soap is made of palm-oil and refined soda, 
and is unscented : this is better for the skin than any other 
soap. Sapolio, or sand-soap, is better than any other for 
cleaning old paint, as it removes pencil-marks and all other 
dirt. Common hard soap, as made by manufacturers, costs 
about a cent a pound; and much maybe saved by making 
it at home. The only objection to it is its tendency to boil 
over unless watched constantly, making extra work to clean 
up. A large wash-boiler should be used for boiling it. To 
each pound of unslacked rock-lime use two pounds of sal-soda. 
Boil the sal-soda in water, measuring it ; and have a gallon of 
water to each pound, also a gallon of cold water to each pound 
of lime : either mix them after they are dissolved sej)arate]y, 
and let them settle, or boil 'all together fifteen minutes, and 
then allow it to cool and settle. The liquid will be a strong 



THE HOMEKEEPEE. 147 

lye for soap-making. Nearly fill the boiler with it, not using 
what settles ; and add from two to four pounds of clear grease, 
and a fourth or a half pound of rosin. Boil all till thick as 
honey ; then pour out, and, when cold, cut it in bars. If, after 
boiling many hours, it will not become soap, add salt till it will. 
Eemove the soap, and put the liquid remaining into the barrel 
of soft soap, as a little rosin improves that. As the lye boils 
away, if the soap does not come, add more from time to time. 

WASHING. 

Wash-day has an unpleasant reputation, and is a dreaded 
day in many homes. Where the women of the house are 
sufficiently numerous, have strength equal to the task, and 
choose to wash, it may be made as agreeable as any other day ; 
but few American women have any strength beyond the 
requirements of fashionable life. Those who are obliged to 
depend on the uncertain visits of professional washers have 
one vexation which Job did not; and, when they do arrive 
at the appointed time, they require almost constant attention, 
as most of them wash the cleanest and finest clothing last. A 
luncheon must be provided; also dinner: and, towards night, 
the washing is done. 

A laundry is needed in every village ; but it is difficult to 
find persons competent and willing to superintend even the 
few now in operation. They would be profitable to their 
owners if washing was done at two cents for each article ; and 
this is as much as it is worth. At this price, most persons 
would send clothes to the laundry rather than have so much 
trouble as is now endured to get washing done. The laundry 
should have a washing-machine worked by steam ; and thou- 
sands of articles could be washed in a day by it. The numer- 
ous washing-machines worked by hand are all worthless, as it 
requires more strength to operate one of them than it does to 
wash the clothes ; and, after all that the machine can do, the 
clothes still need rubbing, as no more dirt is removed by the 
machine than soaking all night will do, and the knowing 
venders visually recommend this. Some of the less knowing 



148 THE nOMEKEEPER. 

ones recommend filling the machine with soiled clothes and 
boiling water, at which any knowing housekeeper would only- 
smile. 

Soft water should he provided for white clothes, and hard 
for colored ones. Fill the boiler, which should be of copper, 
unless a bag is provided to boil the clothes in, with rain-water, 
have plenty of fire, and prepare things generally. The hard- 
est part of washing is lifting the water into and out of the 
tubs and boiler ; and most women woiild find themselves able 
to wash, were they provided with set tubs and boiler with 
faucets. The first cost is not as much as years of hired labor. 
A wringer should be provided ; and Bailey's is the best as yet 
made, as it may be kept on a bench, with a tub each side of it, 
and used to wring from either one. It should be oiled often ; 
and a mixture of fresh lard and rosin is recommended by some 
for such purposes. White clothes should be soaked all night 
in one or both of these tubs, as, by so doing, three-fourths of 
the labor of rubbing is avoided. They should be put into 
neither cold nor hot water ; but it should be strong suds of a 
temperature agreeable to the hands : if too hot, it fastens the 
dirt where it is, besides making the hands very red if kept 
long in it. In the morning, run them through the wringer, 
and sort them, washing the best first. Delicate articles .do not 
need soaking, but should be rubbed, without a board, in clean 
water, before any thing else is washed. Some persons throw 
soiled clothes on the floor, and walk over them ; thus adding 
much to the labor of washing. One or two other large tubs 
are needed, one of medium size to carry clothes in from the 
boiler, and a small one. The tubs near the wringer should be 
used to rinse, and the other two large ones to wash and rinse 
before boiling. Handkerchiefs should be boiled among the 
first things, but are not fit to be washed with other clothes : 
wash them in the smallest tub, in water without soap ; and 
then they may be put in the large tub, and finished. Infants' 
squares should be kept dry, not soaking a week as some have 
them. E-inse in cold water, rinse again in another water, and 
wash in warm suds : not much rubbing is needed, as the stains 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 149 

will not wash, but will boil out. Children's white sacks and 
drawers need soaking, if the children play as they ought to ; 
and if any wheel-grease is on them, or any other articles, rub 
on fresh lard before they are wet, and wash it out in cold 
water, using lard instead of soap till it is removed. When 
all these things are done, washing may commence. 

Clothes will bleach nicely on snow or on grass ; but must not 
lie many days, as they will become mildewed in summer, and 
rot in winter. They usually need rinsing or washing after- 
wards. Dirty clothes, if wet or damp, will mildew in a few 
hours during hot weather, and should be hung up to dry in the 
wash-room before piling them in a basket. 

The boiler should contain cold water when the clothes are 
put in, with plenty of soap ; and, as soon as it boils, carry the 
clothes to the first rinsing-tub, remove all the suds, and wring 
into the other rinsing-tub ; rinse again ; alter the reversible 
board of the wringer, wring out, and hang to dry. The pins 
and line should be kept in a large stout bag in the wash- 
room. It is well to have the iron handles of tubs wound with 
strips of cloth, as clothes get turned out over them usually. 
The wooden handles on old tubs are preferable to those made 
now. A wooden dipper should be used instead of a tin one, 
as too much mixing of things should be avoided, and a tin one 
rusts the clothes. The best washers empty the boiler after 
each boiling, and fill it with clean cold water. 

FLANNELS. 
Soap does not shrink flannel as much, if at all, as some peo- 
ple suppose. It is perspiration when being worn, and hard 
rubbing when being washed, that fulls them. No wash-board 
should ever be allowed near them ; and very hot water turns 
them yellow. Wash white flannels in perfectly clean warm 
water and soft soap, if not too strong ; rinse in clean warm 
water; pull in both directions ; and hang out to dry immediately. 
Clothes dried near the fire never appear well, as the wind is 
needed to blow the moisture and suds from them. Colored 
flannels should be washed in the same way. 



150 THE HOMEEEEPER. 

Children's flannels should always be washed before being 
worn, as poisonous acids are used by the manufacturers in 
cleansing wool ; and it never should be worn next the skin till 
washed thoroughly. Infants' flannels may be washed in the 
piece, and embroidered afterwards, unless embroidery is of 
more importance to the mother than the child is. No blueing 
should ever be put in any clothes, as it is not fit to come in 
contact with the skin : if clothing is clean and dry, that is 
sufficient. Dissolve a half-cup of strong soft soap in two cups 
of boiling water ; let it remain till lukewarm ; place the new 
flannel in it to soak a few minutes, or till all is wet, and press 
it between the hands several times ; wash it in clean lukewarm 
water, and rinse in more of the same temperature. Flannel 
washed in this way appears nice, and is easily done, the whole 
occupying not many minutes. Pull it out both ways, and 
hang out to dry. Blankets, new or old, should be washed same 
as flannels. 

GINGHAMS AND PRINTS. 

Ginghams and calicoes, especially black ones, should be 
washed in hard water, as near cold as agreeable to the washer. 
A handful of salt or a small piece of lime in the water hard- 
ens it, and prevents the loss of color in the cloth. Summer 
dresses should be washed in the fall, but need not be ironed, as 
the stains, if remaining all winter, are hard to remove. 

SILKS. 
Some silks may be washed to appear as well as before wash- 
ing ; and it is best to try a small piece first, before washing a 
dress. Kip it in pieces like thibet ; make a suds of hard soap, 
and hard, warm water, in which to wash it ; and rinse in clean, 
hard, cold water. Hang it in a windy place to dry, and iron 
it on the under-side (unless it is to be turned when made up) 
before it is perfectly dry. It does not do to sprinkle colored 
garments, if there is the least tendency in the colors to wash 
out : the irons should be heated ready to iron such garments be- 
fore they are dry. Gloves, whether of silk or cotton, should be 
put on the hands to be washed, and should be dried in the wind.. 



f 



THE IIOMEKEEPER. 151 

SPONGING CLOTH. 
To sponge woollen clotli, in order to shrink it before it is 
made into garments, wet a sheet in cold water, spread the 
cloth on it, and roll them up together, letting them remain so 
all night ; and, in the morning, hang the cloth out to dry. This 
is the tailor's mode of doing it. 

THIBETS. 

Thibet or all-wool dresses may be washed to appear as well 
as new till worn out. Rip the dress completely in pieces, 
washing one breadth at a time in suds made from hard soap 
and warm water, and rinsing it in one or two clean, warm 
waters. Hang it on a line where the wind blows ; and when 
half dry, which will be in a very short time, be ready to iron 
it on the under-side, ironing a fold in the middle of each 
breadth. Children's thibets can be washed whole. Freezing 
injures the color of colored clothes, and improves white ones. 

Men's wool clothing can be cleaned by brushing with soap, 
and wiping it off with a sponge wet in clean water. 

CARPETS. 
Woollen carpets may be washed as well as any thing else by 
ripping the breadths apart, and washing them in a tub same as 
any other dirty article : the expense is very small ; and, if dried 
on a line in a windy day, the carpets will appear as well as 
new. They should be taken up and shaken once or twice a year, 
as nothing else will prevent moths ruining them with holes. 
Straw-carpets may be wiped over with a wet cloth; but no 
soap should be used, as it turns them yellow. Well treated, 
they last a long time on sleeping-rooms, and are not infested 
with insects. No soap, nor very hot water, should ever be 
used when washing painted carpets, as soap wears them out 
faster than use does ; and it is not needed. They need not be 
taken up till worn out. 

FEATHEE-BEDS. 
Old beds, especially those handed down from one generation 
to another, are not conducive to health : they may and should 



152 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

be washed. A Lathing-tub will hold all the feathers. Nearly 
fill it with clean, warm suds; empty the feather-bed into it; 
wash the feathers weU; wring them out in the hands as 
dry as possible ; and spread in a clean garret or room, to 
dry, on sheets. The tick should be washed, or a new one 
provided. Pillows and bolsters should be washed in the same 
way. 

STAINS. 
Iron-rust and most other stains may be removed from cot- 
ton or linen cloth by wetting them in a solution of oxalic acid ; 
but as this is a strong poison, causing death when swallowed, 
the bottle should be labelled, and locked out of children's reach. 
Fill a small bottle with water, and put in oxalic acid till the 
water will dissolve no more. Wet the stain with a little of it, 
and rub till the stain is removed, rinsing it afterwards ; or pour 
on some of the acid, and throw the garment into water, and 
boil it. Stains may be removed from buff and other prints, 
without injuring the colors, by holding the garment over a 
very hot flat-iron face, and pressing the juice of a lemon on 
the stain : it should then be washed. Sorrel and saleratus are 
each used to remove stains. Fresh lard or milk will remove many 
kinds of stains. Huckleberry-stains are removed by boiling, 
or by pouring on them boiling water. Some stains are removed 
by spreading soft soap on the garment if white, and laying it 
in the sun for several hours or daj^s. Paint that has not been 
on long may be removed in this way ; or, if washed as soon as 
got on, it will come out readily. Mud should be allowed to 
become dry if on a garment, and it may be brushed off easily. 
Grease and some stains may be removed from bed-ticks by 
applying fine magnesia, or chalk, and pinning a white paper 
over it. Ink may be taken from varnished furniture by rub- 
bing the spots with pumice-soap, and wiping immediately 
with a wet cloth. When dry, rub with " olive-oil on a cotton 
cloth. This does not injure varnish that is old and hard. 
" Indelible ink may be removed from cloth by moistening it 
with chloride of lime." 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 153 

STARCHING. 

All starch should first be dissolved in cold water. That 
which is called Poland starch, and is made from flour, will not 
thicken till it is boiled, and is the best kind for linen : it may 
be made in strength to suit the article. Potato-starch will 
thicken as soon as boiling water is poured on it, and is not 
improved by boiling. Starch made of flour and water should 
be boiled one minute ; but the flour must first be dissolved in 
a little cold water, and then the boiling water added. This is 
used for common clothing. Practice is needed to iron starched 
linen well. 

IRONING. 

A dress-board should be provided for skirts, and kept in a 
bag longer than itself; also a bosom-board if needed, and a 
polishing-iron for linen. Flat-irons should be kept clean, and 
not allowed to rust. They should be used in succession when 
on the stove, as this saves fuel and time. There is no need of 
directions for ironing; for too much of it is done a,lready. 
Time and strength are wasted in countless families by ironing 
clothing more than is necessary. Towels do not need any 
ironing, as they absorb more water without it ; and a great 
many are needed in every family. Each member of a family 
should have a separate one, besides bathing-towels, and not use 
it too many times without washing. But, if there is too much 
ironing, there is far too little drying, of the clothes. Clothing 
that is worn every day need not be sprinkled, as a general rule. 
I believe the custom is only too common of putting away and 
wearing wet clothing ; thus causing a vast amount of sickness, 
and numberless deaths. 

Velvet may be ironed to appear well by wetting the creases on 
the wrong side, and rubbing the same on a hot iron. It should 
be brushed on the right side only with crape. 

INSECTS. 

Ants are very troublesome in some places. The legs of a 
chest containing food may rest in water, and the food will not 
be disturbed by them ; or, where this is not practicable, wet a 



154 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

sponge, sprinkle it with sugar, and, when full of ants, dispose 
of them. 

There is no excuse for having bedbugs in the house, unless 
they are brought into it continually by persons in their trunks 
and clothing. They are often carried about by laying outside 
garments on a bed containing them. There is little, if any, 
doubt that they take disagreeable humors from persons having 
them, and impart them by their bite to the healthy; so that, 
after the bugs arQ removed, a breaking-out all over the body 
remains for a long time, perhaps for months. No patent poi- 
sons are needed to get rid of them, nor puttying nor painting. 
Examine the ticks and wash the bedsteads daily till they dis- 
appear. This is work ; and so housekeepers try all other ways, 
but in vain. Some assert that they live in cracks of the floor 
and ceiling, and under paper; but they cannot live without 
food any more than other insects can, and do not leave the bed, 
as a general thing, unless compelled to. 

Bee-hives should not be too near a house, as children are 
often stung by the bees. If the sting was broken off in the 
child, remove it, and apply spirits of camphor, or salt and cold 
water. 

Crickets injure clothing if they get into a house, gnawing 
holes in garments. 

Flies are pests in a house, and should be excluded by win- 
dow and door nets, the latter to shut by springs. Fly poisons 
and papers should be abolished by law, as there is no safety 
where they are used. Flies alight on such paper, then on food 
or persons ; or perhaps die, and drop into food. Flies breed 
enormously in swill and other filth ; so that, to reduce their 
number as much as possible, such things should not be left 
open, but should be covered with ashes. 

To have lice on plants does not indicate a want of neatness, 
but, as generally supposed, too much heat in a room. Some 
kinds may be washed off by fitting a pasteboard over the dirt, 
and immersing the tops of the plants in washing-suds. Other 
kinds have to be picked off, one at a time. 

Millers produce moths, and should be showji the door as 
soon as they arrive. 






THE HOMEEEEPER. 155 

Mosquitoes are not easily caught : window-nets are a sure 
protection where there are no careless persons, and afford more 
health and comfort than do bed-nets ; but, if they are let in 
at the door, a slipper or a wet towel is the best weapon to use. 
Where admitted freely, children lose half their sleep by them, 
and are injured by abrupt wakings, causing fretfulness in the 
morning. They are a benefit to some persons, as all the depre- 
dations of bedbugs can be laid to the mosquitoes. Spirits of 
camphor is a good remedy for their bite. 

It is a general but erroneous notion that moths can be kept 
out of wool and fur by packing them away either in tobacco, 
chips, or various patent remedies made to sell. Garments that 
are not put away, but kept where they are moved occasion- 
ally, never get moth-eaten. It is better to give nice furs to 
the children to play with than to pack them away. Much 
labor and money would be saved by letting winter garments 
lie around all summer. Moths love quiet, whether in furs or 
wool ; and no wool carpet can be prepared so nicely underneath 
that moths will not eat the upper-side if not taken up for two 
or three years. 

The bite of some spiders is poisonous ; and camphor or salt 
should be applied. These insects are easily kept out, unless 
the house has vines growing on it, as they live in them. 

Window-nets are needed till winter to keep wasps out of 
sleeping-rooms. Apply camphor or salt to their bite. It is 
said that a little carbolic acid sprinkled about will drive away 
insects. 

RATS AND MICE. 

Where rats and mice are poisoned, they get between parti- 
tions, and die, leaving sometimes a perpetual odor that is not 
pleasant, nor conducive to health; or fall into water-tanks, poi- 
soning the water. Chloride of lime should be scattered around 
their haunts. 

COOKING FOR THE SICK. 

Sick persons need nourishing food ; and, at the same time, 
it should be such as is easily digested. Soups made of lean 



156 THE HOMEKEEPKR. 

meat or poultry, and strained, are good ; and beans or peas may 
be boiled with the meat. Directions are given under " Soups ; " 
but they should be made according to the strength of the sick. 
Fresh eggs, when boiled, are good, but should only be boiled 
three minutes at most : raw ones would be better, if agreeable. 
Custards should be underdone, whether baked or steamed ; but 
are better steamed, and never should have any spice in them. 
Steam them about three-fourths of an hour. Corn-starch cus- 
tards may be allowed, or simply the corn-starch wet in cold 
water, and boiled one or two minutes, and eaten with sugar or 
milk, or both. 

Nothing is better for sick persons, if they like it, than hasty- 
pudding and milk, especially for supper if accustomed to eat 
suppers. Eye-pudding with molasses is beneficial, and tends 
to loosen the bowels. Oatmeal-pudding with milk is very 
nourishing. Eice should be boiled very soft, and salted just 
right ; that is, a teaspoon of salt to a large quart of water. 
E,aw custards are excellent, especially for children when suf- 
fering from teething-diarrhoea. Bakers' bread and crackers 
are not fit for the sick, as they contain hurtful things, and lit- 
tle or no nourishment, while they clog the stomach uselessly. 
Water-toast is good : toast home bread, but not burn it ; add a 
little salt, good butter, and boiling water to wet it ; and, when 
every particle of it is soft, serve it to the sick. Hard toast and 
crusts increase a fever, if the patient has one ; and, when able 
to eat bread, the crust should always be cut off, as it is too 
hard. Nothing is better than a plenty of ripe, nice berries, or 
fruit if pared. Even raw apples aiire eaten with relish by some 
when in a fever, although others might prefer to have them 
baked or boiled. Oranges, if not very sweet, are refreshing 
to a fever patient. Tomatoes are said to produce all the good 
results which calomel was formerly supposed to, without any 
of its direful effects. 

Elour-gruel may be made of one cup of milk, a cup of water, 
half a teaspoon of salt ; and, when these boil, add a large spoon 
of flour wet in' cold water, and boil all about five minutes, stir- 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 157 

ring constantly to prevent burning. Corn-meal may be used 
instead of flour. Or one large spoon of oatmeal, wet in cold 
milk or water, may be used ; but tlie gruel needs to cook slowly 
a half-hour. 

DRINKS. 

Most persons, when sick, are very thirsty, and nothing will 
satisfy some but the coldest water ; and they had better have 
it, if they cannot be induced to take warm drinks. . But the 
old way of treating fever is better than the present, as cold 
drinks prolong a fever more than double the time it would last 
if the patient could be induced to take warm drinks. It is 
better to swab the mouth with a clean sponge wet in cold 
water than to swallow much cold water. Those drinks that 
stimulate, such as tea arui coffee, do more harm than good ; but 
hot water with milk and sugar in it is harmless and refresh- 
ing. Chocolate produces perspiration, and is nourishing : make 
it in richness according to the strength of the patient. Nurs- 
ing-mothers sometimes want milk to drink, and should have 
it : so should children if they want it ; but it should be boiled, 
and mixed with water and sugar, or given warm, if they have 
diarrhoea. 

Lemonade is an excellent drink for the sick. Wash and 
press one lemon, leaving out the rind ; add a quart of water, 
and two large spoons of sugar. The juice of currants mixed 
with water and sugar makes a pleasant drink ; so does that 
of preserved barberries, or cranberries. A coffee may be made 
from browned crusts of bread that is very good. Pennyroyal- 
tea is excellent for children after taking cold, either to prevent 
a fever, or to relieve one; but great care should be used that 
the child does not get uncovered after taking it, and matters 
be made worse. Peppermint-tea, made from the herb, is good 
to warm the stomach if in pain either from diarrhoea or other 
causes. Saffron and sage are each used for tea in sickness. 
Alcoholic drinks never are needed in sickness, unless in ex- 
treme cases where nothing else will bring the patient back to 
life and health. 



158 THE EOMEKEEPER. 

HEALTH AND SICKNESS. 

A small closet, with lock, should be provided, wherein to keep 
medicines and chemicals which might poison or injure children 
if within their reach. 

We have no law to restrain any man from calling himself a 
physician, and imposing on the afflicted : hence there is no 
redress if we employ them, and suffer. The proprietors of 
patent medicines grow rich hy palming off their injurious drugs 
on the public ; and the truthful epitaph on many a gravestone 
would bo, "■ Died of Patent Medicines." 

" While Thomas Jefferson was a resident of Paris, his 
daughter was seized with a typhus-fever, and an eminent phy- 
sician sent for. He came, examined the patient, gave direc- 
tions about nursing, and departed without giving or leaving 
any medicine. The same course was pursued on the second 
and third days ; when Jefferson said, — 

'' ' Doctor, you don't appear to be doing any thing for my 
daughter. What is the reason ? ' 

" ' The reason is, I wish to get her well. I had supposed 
you knew what my system of practice was.' 

" ' No : what is it ? ' 

" ' To have the most careful nursing, leave the disease to 
wear itself out, and let Nature do the rest, but give no medi- 
cine.' 

" The result was, the daughter recovered with an uninjured 
constitution ; and, for thirty years after, Jefferson followed the 
system of the French physician in his own family and among 
his slaves, taking them, as he himself said, through the worst 
fevers, and never losing a patient." 

The French physician was not alone in his practice. A 
young physician in this country, of the " regular " sort, was 
about leaving home to pursue the study of surgery in Paris. 
His wife asked him what physician she shoiild call in his ab- 
sence, if their only child, an infant son, were sick. The father 
replied, " Let Nature take care of him, and call no physician." 

Most persons are firm in the belief that they cannot recover 
from sickness without drugs ; and, although they sometimes 



TEE EOMEKEEPER. 159 

recover when using them, oftener the recovery is only a length- 
ened sickness, which ends only with life. It is possible for the 
druggist or physician to hide almost any drug in pills ; and 
it would be well never to take them, as calomel is not entirely 
out of use 3^et, and its effects are never recovered from. The 
best physicians give very little medicine, and no alcoholic liquors. 
One of the most intelligent in his profession said that he had 
had more fault found with him for not giving more medicine 
than for any other cause ; but people are becoming better edu- 
cated on this subject, and want less than they supposed was 
necessary a few years ago. Dr. Colleneth, a celebrated Ger- 
man physician, says, " For twenty-one years I have banished 
all intoxicants from my practice ; and, during that period, I 
have not made fewer than a hundred and eighty thousand 
medical visits: and I hesitate not to say, that the recoveries 
have been more numerous and more rapid than they were 
during the five years I followed the usual practice, and admin- 
istered brandy, wine, and beer." 

A physician in whom his patients have confidence benefits 
them by his very presence and cheerful conversation : if they 
are sure that he can help them, much is accomplished. Hope 
is the best stimulant for the sick ; and well persons should try 
to encourage it as much as possible in them. They should be 
cheered by reminding them that the world progresses, and 
that the best physicians are constantly learning, so that in this 
fact alone is much ground for hope, no matter what the disease 
may be. 

So important do physicians consider good nursing, that they 
affirm that it is of little importance who the physician is, if 
the patient has a good nurse. But good nurses are seldom to 
be found : indeed, the profession is not crowded, either above 
or below. A false sentiment pervades society in regard to 
nurses : it has been considered improper for young, unmarried 
women to nurse the sick, especially in cases of births ; but this 
is all false modesty, and nothing else. We have schools for 
girls of nearly all sorts but the right sort: there should be 
schools to educate young girls for this most important Chris- 



160 THE HOMEEEEPER. 

tian duty. They are women, and -should know how to take 
care of sick women and children. 

The world has been humbugged long enough with the " old 
and experienced nurse " and her dilapidated notions : let us 
have something now not quite so old and experienced. The 
" experienced nurse " usually carries her drugs with her to 
soothe infants into an almost perpetual sleep. It is not natural 
for infants to sleep eighteen or twenty-four hours at a time, 
as I have seen them do ; and, if they do so, it would be best for 
the mother to ascertain the cause immediately. In such cases, 
it is well to try a new nurse. If young women who have afi. 
intense desire to benefit the heathen, but find no opportunity 
of going to them, would turn their attention to sick Christians 
near home, they would find a large field for their benevolence, 
besides getting well paid for it. Why aspire to do men's work, 
if it happen to be light, when woman's proper work remains 
undone, with none to take her place ? 

The sick should have a pleasant, sunny room ; and in cities 
it should also be at the back of the house if possible, to avoid 
noise. Outside of cities, no stairs should be climbed by those 
attending the sick, as it is a great waste of strength ; and the 
sick need much attention, except when at rest. The sitting- 
room should be the pleasantest room in the house, with the 
sun shining all day into it if possible ; and, if there is no bed- 
room on the same floor, bring a bed into it. An old-fashioned 
cot-bed with sacking bottom is preferable to most spring-beds 
for the sick : have one wool-blanket under the sheet and over 
the bed, and nothing but good wool-blankets above the sick, 
excepting a spread ; and this would be better made of lace than 
of any heavier material, as weight, without warmth, is oppres- 
sive. A comfortable stool-chair or an earth-closet should be 
provided which has the seat covered with woollen cloth, to pre- 
vent taking cold. 

When clothing or bedding is changed, the clean should be 
thoroughly dry and hot. Every thing should be kept clean, 
and picked up ; but no sweeping should be done excepting with 
a covered carpet-sweeper, and dust should be wiped off with a 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 161 

damp cloth. Rags never should be burned to purify a room, 
but a window or inside-door opened, after having put extra 
covering on the sick. If the weather is as warm as the aver- 
age of summer weather, the windows should be open all the 
time, but not so as to cause a draft of air across the patient. 
At any time of year, the air needs changing often in the room 
of the sick, as nothing will cure them any faster than pure 
air. A thermometer should hang in the room, and the heat be 
regulated by it. An open wood-fire is best, as it ventilates 
while warming a room. A covered pitcher holding a quart 
should be used for drinks, keeping them clean and cool. 

The meals should be regular, with suitable food well cooked 
and neatly served, as much depends on this. As a general 
rule, people eat too much food when well, and too little of the 
right sort when sick. Nourishing food cures faster than any 
amount of drugs can. Perhaps, when " John " is sick, and 
his mother well, he may have quite as much to eat as is good 
for him ; but let John's mother be sick, and she will not be 
overloaded with good food. The sick want breakfast soon 
after light, as the nights are long and tedious; and to be 
obliged to wait three or four hours after this, as is often done, 
till the nurse is well filled, is very trying to a sensitive person, 
and disgusts so much, that, when the breakfast does come, there 
is no inclination to eat it, no matter how hungry the patient 
may be. The sick are greatly injured by this selfishness of the 
nurse. Dinner should be ready at noon, and supper, if eaten 
at all, before dark, and the bed made, as the patient is then 
ready to sleep. The rattling of newspapers all the evening, 
and snoring all night, are not pleasant to sick persons. I 
have often wondered if " the old and experienced nurse " ever 
was sick. 

There is a kind of nurse, though too seldom seen, who knows 
just how to make sick people well, and her very presence is a 
blessing : every thing she does seems just right to the sufferer, 
and her patients recover. A physician had a very sick patient, 
and, not being able to cure her, bade her adieu, expecting to 
meet her next in a better world, where drugs are not neces- 



162 THE nOMEKEEPER. 

sary. Her pastor, a live maB, supposed a good nurse to be 
most needed by her, and, knowing one who had been a model 
in her profession, called on her. She had two very young 
infants, which seemed an obstacle in the way ; but the live pas- 
tor offered to take care of the infants that night if the nurse 
would take care of the sick woman : she did, and that woman 
lived many years afterwards. 

Visitors, as a general rule, do more harm than good in the 
room of sick persons : if the patient does not talk, it is equally 
tiresome to hear others. If their meals are regular, as they 
should be, the time between them should be free from intru- 
sion and noise, that they may rest. The good nurse sees that 
rest, as much as possible, is secured to the patient; and, further 
to secure this, the bed should be made both at morning and at 
night. A sponge-bath, of water which is agreeable to the 
patient, is needed each morning in most diseases ; but care 
should be used that a chill does not follow. 

Many of the causes of sickness may be avoided with proper 
care ; and others there are that are unavoidable. Among the 
latter may be mentioned accidents, birth, contagions, teething, 
and old age. Some of the former are colds, excessive eating 
and drinking, wrong modes of dress, bad air, overwork, want 
of amusement, lack of neatness, loss of sleep, ignorance of 
and inattention to the simple laws of health. 

ACCIDENTS. 
When accidents occur, the first requisite is presence of mind, ' 
as those who are frightened do more harm than good. Some 
persons faint soon if an artery or a vein be cut, and, if alone, 
die : but, if any one is near, the blood-vessel should be tied, if 
possible, and a bandage applied ; and, if it still bleeds, insert a 
stick in the bandage, and twist it till bleeding ceases. Call a 
surgeon as soon as possible. The blood from an artery is pro- 
pelled in jets ; and, if it be one that is cut, haste must be made 
to secure it immediately, or the person will soon die. Apply 
the pressure between the heart and wound. " If in a position 
where the handkerchief cannot be used, press the thumb on a 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 163 

spot near the wound, between it and the heart ; increase the 
pressure until the bleeding ceases ; but do not lessen the press- 
ure for an instant until the physician arrives, so as to glue up 
the wound by coagulation, or cooling of the hardening blood." 

AMUSEMENTS. 

Those persons who least need amusements are the ones who 
patronize them most liberally. Those suffering from chronic 
diseases need them most, after children ; and next comes the 
wearied mother who has been harassed with the cares of 
children and house-keeping. A ride in the afternoon with 
the children would refresh and recreate all ; and those men 
who think they cannot afford this expense should take into 
consideration what would be the state of their family were 
the overworked mother to die, and leave to the father the 
whole care of it. If the mother is fleshy, and has a healthy 
coloi:, it is of no use for her to complain of a want of health : 
she is only "spleeny" or "nervous." But if it so happens 
that she cannot bear up under her weight of cares — why, it is 
a " dispensation of Providence," to which all but the children 
are soon reconciled. 

BALDNESS. 

There are preparations made to sell for the cure of bald- 
ness ; but they contain more or less of ingredients which are 
injurious to the head; and the only article in them which is of 
any benefit is tincture of cantharides, or flies. This may be 
used alone, and wiU restore the hair on young heads where it 
has been removed, and perhaps on older ones if used persist- 
ently. After hair has been cut, it assists the growth, causing 
a thick, nice head of hair. A California physician says bald- 
ness is caused by the too-frequent use of tobacco, impeding 
the circulation, and preventing the free and natural supply of 
nourishment to the hair. 

BANDAGES. 
These should always be ready for use, as no one knows how 
soon they may be needed. They are best when made of stout, 



164 THE HOMEEEEPER. 

but not entirely new, cotton cloth, from two to three inches 
wide, and several yards long without piecing. Roll them up 
as tightly as possible, sew the end to the roll, and lay away in 
the medicine-closet. They are used to bind limbs when 
wounded or diseased, to prevent swelling. 

BATHING. 

A daily bath is as necessary to health as is daily bread. 
The countless pores of the skin are the drains of the body. As 
well might one stop up a sewer, and attempt to cleanse it by 
pouring in lime, as to stop the pores of the body by neglect, 
and expect to regain health by pouring in drugs. There is 
nothing, however, which is less understood than a right mode 
of bathing. When we rise in the morning, the body is rested, 
strong, and active ; and this is the time to bathe : the blood 
thus receives a new impulse ; and the bather feels renewed, and 
ready for a day of toil. Bathing at night is dangerous, as the 
body is too tired to receive a new impulse and be again invit- 
ed to go to work : a chiU is almost sure to follow night-bath- 
ing, and it may never be recovered from, but may bring a 
lingering disease. It is a wrong practice to bathe children 
Saturday nights : it is better to get up early enough to do it 
Sunday morning, when they rise. The mother who would 
know how to bathe her children should not neglect it herself. 
The benefit arising from bathing will diminish with the hours 
before noon; and, after noon, the danger increases till night. 
Children often bathe in ponds afternoons, if not forbidden, 
because, as they say, the water is warmer then ; but this is 
only an additional danger. 

No great apparatiis is needed for a bath : a warm room is 
necessary, but warm water is not. A screen made like a 
clothes-horse might be covered and used in a kitchen, as well as 
to have a bath-room : the latter is very convenient, however, 
• for undressing at night, as well as for bathing, as the perspi- 
ration on clothing makes it cold and disagreeable if left in a 
cold room at night. There need be no expense in heating a 
bath-room over a kitchen, as a dummy stove takes the heat 



THE nOMEEEEPER. 165 

from the cook-stove, and warms it sufficiently. The pipe 
which enters it should be larger than the one through which 
the smoke leaves it, that it may be full all the time. 

Cold water is most invigorating to the system, and should 
always be used in winter, as warm water then causes a chill, 
and a "cold" follows. A cup of salt to one quart of water is 
considered equal to sea-water, and gives additional warmth to 
the bather. In summer, warm water may be used without 
harm, and should be by fleshy persons, as they become heated 
more easily than lean ones. The latter will not suffer with 
heat, perhaps, if using the cold bath ; but here let it be said, 
that it is not best to stand in the water, but use a half-towel, 
bathing and wiping a part at a time, and rubbing the body 
well with a dry towel. The best but not finest quality of 
Eussia crash is the best for bathing-towels. Bathing-water 
should be free from lead, copper, and zinc ; and the head should 
be wet as well as the remainder of the person. Those unac- 
customed to a daily bath sometimes indiilge in one when 
excessively heated, using cold water ; and the result is, in some 
cases, insanity, idiocy, or death. 

Proper bathing keeps the hair good, the skin soft and fair, 
and removes pimples by opening the pores of the skin. It also 
cures the debility usually felt on the approach of summer, 
without aid from other tonics. Children without it are fret- 
ful and uneasy in summer, not knowing what troubles them ; 
and, supposing themselves hungry, eat oftener than they other- 
wise would. When overheated, a warm bath is the best 
method for becoming cool again. Sea-bathing should never be 
practised when the tide is going out, as there is danger then 
of being drowned, which there is not if the tide is coming in. 
When the feet ache from too much exercise, keep them in 
warm water a few minutes, and they are much relieved ; but no 
chill should follow. 

BEAUTY. 
It is natural for mankind to admire the beautiful, and for 
some persons to desire to appear beautiful : to this end, poison- 



166 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

ous paints and washes are used, hair-dyes composed largely of 
lead, and even strong poisons taken in small doses, to attain 
the coveted beauty of person. Go to the city some day when 
the thermometer is nearly up to a hundred, and notice what 
color the faces are that are met on the street. One would sup- 
pose they might wear a natural rose-color such a hot day. But 
not so : neither a natural nor an artiiicial rose-color will be seen, 
but nearer a straw-color ; for paint does not do well (I suppose) 
such weather as this. 

Want of air at night, or rather while sleeping ; want of a 
cold bath in the morning ; want of room for the lungs to work ; 
plenty of saleratus for breakfast, dinner, and supper, and 
another meal at midnight, made up of all sorts of unwholesome 
things, and villanous drinks to wash it down ; want of pure 
water ; want of outdoor or kitchen exercise, and too much 
dancing and shopping exercise, with running up and down 
stairs continually, — these are enough to fade the brightest 
bloom that ever lived in a woman's face. 

Is it " countrified " to wear Nature's color of health, and 
only beautiful to wear poisonous paints on the cheeks and 
lips ? Let us be very countrified, then. Pure air will help 
wonderfully to make us so. Pure water inside and outside 
will assist us. Eat once or twice a day only ; and then let 
saleratus alone, as this is more destructive to beauty than any 
thing else : it removes the fatty part of the sj^stem, and makes 
the skin yellow. Tea and coffee also make a sallow com- 
plexion. 

Pure, moist air, a morning bath, healthful dress, a right 
amount of exercise by day, and rest at night, and a heart in 
the right place, will do more than the entire contents of an 
apothecary-shop towards making the person beautiful. Ameri- 
can air is so dry, that it injures a fair skin more than does a 
moist atmosphere ; and this fact alone, probably, has made of 
the moist island of Newport the most fashionable of summer 
resorts. Fair women have ascertained, no doubt, that they 
appear fairer there; and it is in no danger of being deserted. 
Every kitchen is a Newport as far as moist air can make it so ; 



THE nOMEEEEPER. 167 

and those who find their duty in one should console them- 
selves that they possess the best of places for preserving 
beauty. 

" Beautiful faces, — they, that wear 

The light of a pleasant spirit there ; 

It matters little if dark or fair. 

Beautiful hands are they that do 

The -work of the noble, good,' and true, — 

Busy for them the long day through. 

Beautiful feet are they that go 
Swiftly, to lighten another's woe. 
Through summer's heat, or winter's snow." 



BIRTH. 

Every true woman must prefer to have one of her sex with 
her at this time. It is useless to assert that women never can 
equal men in the care of their own sex, as they understand 
themselves and their sex as no man ever can. No male phj'-- 
sician can ever know any more of a woman's feelings than she 
chooses to disclose to him ; and the mod^t and intelligent 
woman never chooses to disclose much : but one of her sex 
knows, without asking, what she most wants. Some phy- 
sicians assert that the practice of obstetrics will recede where 
it was five hundred years ago if left to women-physicians : 
perhaps this would be an improvement on the practice of some 
male physicians, if they are like one of their nu.mber '^ in good 
and regular standing," who, after he had by his ignorance 
caused the uterus to protrude, cut it off, not knowing what it 
was, or what to do with it. It is certain that women, if as ig- 
norant as many who pass through the medical schools, could 
not obtain diplomas. There are diseases of the mind which 
no doctor can reach with drugs. Many a woman lives and 
dies of a broken heart ; and the male physician never dreams 
what is the matter. 

When enceinte, during the nauseous period, if she will do 
entirely without eating suppers, she will diminish the time 



168 TEE HOMEKEEPER. 

and degree of sickness. Now is the time that a very little 
wine m.ay be neede'a ; and the only time it ever is needed, 
■unless it be when persons are reduced so low by sickness, 
that nothing else will restore them. Some children have 
been disfigured for life, — probably from the want of a very 
little wine at the right time. The husband, during all 
the time, should remove all causes of sorrow, care, and trou- 
ble, as far as it is in his power to do so : unpleasant results 
often follow from his neglect of this simple duty. The woman, 
especially if young, is more like a child than like herself, — she 
cannot help it, — ■ and should be indulged like a child. She will 
appreciate and be grateful for the patience shown her. If a 
woman would have a healthy child, she must work some every 
day. If she would have a comparatively easy time at last, 
she must work every day, but not beyond her strength. 
" Peasants bring forth in safety ; " and why ? Because exer- 
cise, work, is absolutely necessary to health. When a child 
arrives, the cord that is attached should be tied, with a fi.ne 
linen braid called bobbin, about two inches from the body, and 
cut off, outside the tying, with a pair of sharp scissors : these 
wants should be supplied beforehand. The physician usually 
attends to this; but, if there is none, the nurse must know 
how to do it. The after-part should all be removed. 

A new-born infant does not need dosing with medicine : 
milk is sufficient. And now comes the part that is sometimes 
neglected by some nurses. After the child is washed (not in a 
cold room, but near a good fire) with water moderately warm, 
take a clean piece of fine old linen about four or five inches 
square, cut a piece out of the centre just large enough to ad- 
mit the cord, oil it a little with olive or palm oil, and pass the 
cord through it ; take another piece of old soft linen large 
enough to cover the whole, oil it, and lay over; then bind 
around the child, but not too tightly, a flannel bandage made 
as directed, and pin carefully. Have three or four bandages, 
that a clean one may be ready when required. Every day, the 
mother should insist on seeing for herself that the child's ab- 
domen has proper care, and clean linen cloths put on if need- 



i 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 169 

ed. The cord will come off when it is time it should, with 
proper care, as directed. When it does, put on another clean 
linen, oiled; and bandage as before. If the "old and experi- 
enced nurse " insists on applying to it mutton-tallow, nutmeg, 
or other stuff, the mother must insist on it that no animal 
grease nor spice shall be used on the child. Wash the child 
early every morning, as quickly as possible, near a fire, a part 
at a time, and cover with warm clothing as soon as washed. 
The water should not be too warm, as it will produce a chill. 
Have a small bottle of olive or palm oil, and a new hair-pen- 
cil with which to apply it ; and, as often as the child is washed, 
apply the oil under the arms ; and, if chafed by the flannel, put 
a linen cloth under each arm, or a linen shirt under the 
woollen one. With oil applied every day, there is no danger 
of the skin being chafed. Apply the oil inside the thighs 
often besides after washing, as the skin will be off if not at- 
tended to. . An infant can be kept in good condition with 
very little labor. It should be washed on a pillow or cushion 
made for it, as, if hoops are worn, the child will be hurt by 
them. 

Let us return to the sick mother, who " remembers no more 
the anguish for joy ; " but she needs rest and love, — love, the 
most powerful medicine that ever was invented for soul or 
body ; for it will cure both, — and silence and sleep. But can 
she sleep with that new joy beside her? No, not one wink 
the first night : it is useless to expect it. But keep her 
room quiet all day, and she may sleep a little. Do not talk, 
nor allow her to, only to say what is necessary, and concerns 
herself or her child. Spinning long yarns to the sick is enough 
of itself to kill a delicate person. Next night, she will sleep 
some ; but keep her room perfectly quiet every day, so she 
may sleep as much as possible. This will cure her faster than 
any thing else can. The discharges should be regular ; and, if 
not so, use a syringe. If the bowels are not kept open or 
regular, the patient will be feverish, and drink more of cold 
drinks than is good for her. This will aggravate her pain, but 
no other harm will arise from it ; and, if denied cool drinks, she 



170 THE EOMEKEEPER. 

will suffer from thirst : therefore keep the bowels regular by 
injections, and not with drugs. If pains are severe, wet a 
white flannel cloth in strong hop-tea, and lay it on the abdo- 
men as hot as can be endured. Place over it several layers of 
dry hot flannel to keep the clothing dry. 

And now comes another trial for her : the food for the young 
visitor is coming. How many a young mother suffers and 
weeps with a broken breast ! but there is no more need of her 
having one than there is of her having a broken nose. They 
ought to know, before they arrive at this stage, that they can- 
not touch any thing that is cold, nor put their hands into cold 
water, — not even for an instant. The danger lasts for months, 
or as long as nursing lasts, but in a diminishing ratio. No 
care is too great at first. If mothers would do their duty by 
instructing their daughters in season, all this trouble would be 
avoided. But the mother waits till the daughter is a mother, 
and then has the kindness to tell her ; but the young mother 
is too happy in her new-found joy to believe any thing can 
harm her, does not heed the warning (which comes too late), 
and suffers. It is possible to have one, and not endure any pain 
except from the lancing ; yet this is not the general rule. And 
now the nurse can save the patient a great deal of suffering 
if she will follow these directions : Take one large spoon of 
spirits of camphor, two spoons of olive or palm oil, and warm 
them together. If the breasts have the least hardness in 
them, as will most likely be the case, apply this mixture warm 
with the hands, which should be soft, but firm enough to 
mould or knead the breasts. Have a soft towel, and press the 
milk from the circumference towards the outlet until it runs 
out. It may hurt a little at first ; but it soon becomes a luxury. 
Keep them soft by repeating this process as often as any hard- 
ness is perceptible. Before and after each nursing of the child, 
wash the nipples in stids made of warm water and white toilet- 
soap ; and every time after nursing -apply salve made of one 
large, even spoon of palm-oil, and one small cake of white wax, 
melted together. The tenderness will not last long if there is 
sufficient milk for the child. If so unfortunate as to take cold. 



THE HOMEKEEPER. Ill 

and have any redness or swelling of the breast, it should be 
poulticed with flaxseed-meal, boiled in water, and applied as 
hot as agreeable. Keep the milk pressed out ; and, if this does 
not prevent a gathering of matter, have it lanced when ripe. 
Follow this course persistently, and there wiU be little if any 
pain or soreness when nursing. 

The nurse should bathe the mother in bed' every morning, 
unless the physician forbids, with a small sponge or cloth 
wrung out dry from water, not too hot nor too cold ; rub well, 
and cover up warm. She needs no medicine if properly nursed. 
The person confined to bed by sickness knows no division be- 
tween night and day, except the changes in light and darkness. 
Commence to do her work as soon as light comes, unless she is 
asleep; but the sick sleeper never should be" disturbed. As 
soon as she wakes in the morning, carry some warm water and 
a clean "towel for her face and hands; and then she should have 
her breakfast, without waiting two or three hours, as is some- 
times the case, till all in the house are well fiilled. Her hus- 
band knows better than any other person what she likes, and 
ought to find time to carry it to her : he would, probably, if he 
knew how much better it would digest. What she wants most 
will not be likely to injure her, if properly cooked ; and it is a 
part of the business of a nurse to cook her patient's food. 
She needs more food and drink than in any other kind of sick- 
ness. 

If she is able to sit up long enough to have her bed made, 
make it as soon as possible after her breakfast. Lay the 
blankets over an arm-chair, and help her to it, covering her 
with them. Make the bed as even and soft as possible ; and, 
when ready to spread on the blankets, help her into it, and 
finish making it. In this way she will not be obliged to sit 
up long. If the weather is cold, she should have a knit worsted 
jacket to wear over her night-dress, with a pocket in it to hold 
a handkerchief. After she has rested a little while, comb her 
hair, and place it so she can lie comfortably. Feed the child, 
wash and dress it, and lay it beside the mother to get warm 
after washing. Now, if her work has been done early in the 



172 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

morning, — as it always should be, — the mother will have a 
long time to rest and sleep. If the child wakes and is fretful, 
take it away, and supply its wants, whatever they are. The 
mother cannot rest any if the child is in bed with her all the 
time, day and night, even if it is the best child that ever lived. 
She will lie and look at it when she ought to be asleep. The 
dinner-hour for the sick should be twelve always. . If she is 
able to have her bed made again, make it, and give her sup- 
per — if she must have supper — before sunset. Hasty-pud- 
ding and milk, or oatmeal-pudding, is best for her. 

After supper, she must sleep for the night ; and remember 
that the rattling of newspapers all the evening in her room 
will not favor sleep. Have drinks by her bed, where she can 
reach them when wanted. A covered pitcher keeps water 
cle.an and cool ; and it should be remembered that infants want 
cold water to drink every day in hot weather, as well as older 
people. They seldom get it, however, unless to cure the hic- 
coughs. 

Tonics do fio good, but snuch harm : the patient thinks she 
is stronger than she really is if using them, and gets up too 
soon. They do not give strength, but act like all stimulants, 
borrowing of the future what they are not able to pay. Bet- 
ter let nature take its own course : the patient will have all 
the appetite she ought to have without them, especially if she 
nurses the child at the breast. 

Saturday night has come. Happy time, prelude to the day 
of rest ! The husband and father will be at home. Perhaps 
the children or other persons have made too much noise during 
the week, so that she is tired. She expects rest to-morrow, and 
a little attention and love, too, from him for whom she suffers ; 
and she should not expect in vain. E-ise early ; have breakfast 
done as early as possible ; and see that she has rest. " Love is 
to the human heart what sunshine is to flowers ; " but, if the 
flowers did not get more of the sun's light and heat than some 
human hearts do of love, they never would get far above the 
crust of the earth. Of all medicines for soul or body, nothing 
is so healing as Christ's words to mankind ; for they are love 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 173 

itself. Get the good book, and read what the great Physician 
says : it will soothe and quiet the soul as nothing else can. 
Prayer, "the highest exercise of wliich the soul is capable," 
will induce sleep without the aid of narcotics. " He giveth 
his beloved sleep." 



The man who said infants need "plenty of milk, flannel, 
and sleep," knew what they need. And it would seem the 
simplest thing in the world to give them all they need; and 
yet few get it. They get plenty of flannel, certainly, where it 
is not needed, — that is, below their feet ; while their poor little 
arms go naked when the ground out of doors is covered with 
snow. There ought to be a law to stop this inhuman practice ; 
but, unfortunately, there is not. It is hoped Christianity will 
make progress before many more centuries pass away; but 
certainly its progress seems very slow. Think of these speech- 
less little ones, all around us, suffering and dying ! It is no 
wonder that a large proportion of them die : the only wonder 
is that any of them live. Mothers, if you have the slightest 
wish for your children to live, and grow up to be healthy men 
and women, cover up their necks and arms in winter. If they 
have sufficient clothing and food, they will not need a perpetual 
dosing, nor any dosing : they will be well if you will only let 
them. In cold weather, young infants should wear next their 
bodies shirts knit of single, white woollen yarn which is soft, 
and made for this purpose, to cover the neck, arms, and bowels 
completely. They may be made to look very nice, and are 
much more suitable than the flimsy things usually worn. In- 
fants will drool and vomit ; and a wet linen shirt cannot be very 
comfortable. A pretty sack over the dress will not hurt the 
wearer in the least. Dressed in this way, they appear much 
better than they do in a state of half-nudity, and can be car- 
ried through a cold room without injury. Every article of an 
infant's clothing should be made of wool, excepting the dress 
and squares. Clothing for all children should be made large 
enough to allow for the child's growth, and shrinking of the 



174 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

cloth. When making new garments, measure the child in- 
stead of some outgrown garment, and make them several inches 
larger than the child. 

In summer they should wear a woollen shirt long enough to 
cover the bowels, low in the neckj and with short sleeves, but 
not entirely destitute of sleeves, or the air will circulate too 
freely under their arms. If dressed properly, do not be afraid 
to let them have all the air there is : it cannot hurt them. If 
they are sick, or teething, they need it all the more. Their 
clothing should be all made alike, so that, when a change is 
made, they will not take cold. Always tie single knots, as 
they are much more easily untied. All clothing should be as 
soft and comfortable as possible to have it ; and plenty of 
changes are required, as children soil so many garments. It 
wiU not harm them to have them changed every day ; but great 
care is necessary to have them perfectly dry and warm when 
put on. 

Bandages to be used the first month should be of old, thick, 
white flannel, as it does not stretch like new. Better have no 
hem about it, but make it three-fourths of a yard or more in 
length, about six inches in width; and see that, when used, the 
pins do not prick the infant. If made of new flannel, have it 
seven inches by thirty-six, and overcast it all around. After 
a month or more, if the navel is right* and well, — as it should 
be, — a looser kind of bandage may be worn with comfort. 
Take four needles, of the size used for hose, and single white 
yarn, casting sixty stitches on each of three needles ; seam 
them ; and, when about six inches long or more, bind off all 
but forty stitches, and from these knit plain about an inch ; 
narrow off to twenty stitches, and finish off. This is to be 
pinned with the square, to keep each in place. 

The shirts should be knit of single white yarn, putting one 
hundred stitches on one large needle, as only two needles are 
needed. Seam two, and knit two plain, commencing at the 
bottom to knit; and when having knit from seventy to ninety- 
five times across, according to the size of the yarn, narrow one 
stitch each time across, at the end of the needle, for sixteen 



THE BOMEKEEPER. 175 

times ; then slip-and-biud once across ; knit plain once ; and 
bind off. Two such pieces, sewed together at the sides, form the 
body; the narrowed places make the shoulders ; and the sleeves 
should be sewed in below them. The loops made by slipping- 
and-binding are to receive the ribbon or bobbin. For the 
sleeves, put fifty-two or sixty stitches on a needle, and knit 
them about six inches long, and finish off same as the neck, 
with loops for ribbon. For the gusset, cast on twenty stitches ; 
knit plain till square ; bind off ; sew to the upper part of 
the sleeve ; finish and sew in the sleeves. Three or four 
such shirts are needed. 

The squares should be made twice as long as wide, besides 
allowing room for a small hem at each end.; and should not be 
used before being washed. Only shielded pins should be used 
to fasten,, them : provide half a dozen, as they are liable to 
break. Forty or fifty squares are sufficient, as they never 
should be allowed to accumulate after being soiled. They 
should not be soaked in water, but kept dry till washed. 
Hoops are bad things on which to tend infants : when squares 
are put on, lay the child in a cradle or on a pillow. Never 
put on cold squares, especially if of linen, — not even in sum- 
mer,, as it produces a cold and diarrhoea. Always keep them 
warm at the fire at all times of the year. If you economize 
in fuel, and lose your child, it is not much of a saving to yoxx. 
Place the dry squares on one chair, or end of a line kept for 
the purpose, and the wet ones in a separate place to dry. 
Some persons put wet ones over dry ones to dry them ; but I 
pity the child who has to wear them, and cannot speak to com- 
plain. 

What used to be called baras, or foot-blankets, are useless, 
and only cumber the child unnecessarily. In summer, a wool- 
len shirt with short sleeves, and a cotton sack night-gown 
with long sleeves, are enough ; and, in winter, a woollen shirt 
and flannel night-gown, each with long sleeves, are enough. 
Blankets to hold water should be placed under the sheet or 
blanket, and dried every day if wet, and washed often. 
Never wake a child to put a dry square on it ; but, if it is 



176 THE nOMEKEEPEIi. 

awake, a wet one feels uncomfortable. Some infants have suf- 
ficient heat to keep the inner one warm, even if wet ; hut 
others have not. 

Flannel for skirts should he washed before it is used, as a 
poisonous acid is used by the manufacturers in cleaning wool. 
Other garments made of wool should also be washed before 
used. The skirts may be washed before they are embroidered, 
or in the piece. They should be not less than three-fourths 
of a yard long (and a yard is better), and one and three-fourtlis 
or two yards wide. The waist should be twenty-two by five 
or six inches when made. Pin them in front with small, 
shielded pins. If care is used, there is no need of pricking a 
child with pins. Two skirts are needed in winter, one in sum- 
mer, generally ; but none when the thermometer nearly reaches 
a hundred. 

Dresses should have a skirt one yard or more in length, 
and two yards or more in width, with a waist twenty-two by 
five inches and a half, and a sleeve three inches long and 
seven around ; or, if dresses and skirts are cut sack or goring, 
it is all the better for the child. 

A yard of thibet makes three sacks, if torn in equal pieces. 
The back should be twelve inches across when done ; each half 
of the front six inches ; around the neck twelve inches ; the 
sleeve six inches long, nine inches around the top, and the bot- 
tom sloped off to six inches around the wrist. If made of 
white thibet, it may be embroidered with pink worsted. Twist 
four strands of it together for cord to tie the neck, and have 
them seven to ten inches long when done. Make a small ball 
to each cord. Or bind the sack with ribbon, and tie with the 
same. 

Socks are not needed in summer ; but long ones should be 
worn in winter. It is much cheaper to knit than to buy them. 
Get coarse Berlin worsted, either blue, red, or pink, for the 
feet, and fine white worsted, or soft yarn, for the tops. Com- 
mence at the bottom of the foot to knit by casting sixty-four 
stitches on to a large steel needle, as only two are needed for 
the foot ; knit eighteen or twenty times across ; leave fourteen 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 177 

or sixteen stitches in the middle, and slip the others off the 
needles on to a thread; then knit the middle stitches about 
twenty-five or thirty times across, either plain or fancy, chan- 
ging the yarn to white, when having knit fifteen times across, 
to imitate a slipper. Take up the stitches on the threads, and 
knit the leg, using four needles, and making spaces for a cord 
or ribbon around the ankle by slipping-and-binding once or 
twice around. Knit the legs in seams, or in cross way ribs, 
eight inches in length ; bind off loosely ; and crochet some scal- 
lops, or not, around the top. Sew up the feet, which should 
measure, when flat, four or five inches in length ; and make 
some cord by taking two yards of worsted, doubling and twist- 
ing it twice, and run it into the eyelets made for it. 

Infants born in spring and summer should wear long clothes 
till the next summer to keep their lower limbs warm. It is 
cruel to put them into short clothing the first winter : they 
should get acclimated by degrees. A comfortable dress in 
very hot weather, for children old enough to walk, is a flannel 
shirt with low neck and short sleeves, a sack dress, hose, and 
shoes. This is all that is needed in the three summer months, 
unless in cool days ; but, if the weather becomes cool suddenly, 
more clothing cannot be added too soon. If playing out of 
doors, a muslin sack over the low-neck dress, and a hat with a 
very wide rim, are all that is needed. 

Unquestionably, the best food for a new being is its moth- 
er's milk, unless she is in feeble health ; and, in that case, she 
certainly will not have enough to supply its wants. Eew if 
any American mothers have sufficient milk to supply a child. 

If the nipples are sore after the child is a month old, the 
probability is there is not milk enough for the child ; and, 
instead of buying papillary lotions for the nipples, buy a pint 
or quart of good milk a day for the child. It will save trouble 
to feed it days with cow's milk, and nurse it nights if there 
is enough for this. Most rules and persons recommend 
watering and sugaring cow's milk for young children ; but I 
have no doubt the child would be better fed on cow's milk 
alone. City milk is so weak, and entirely destitute of cream, 



178 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

that it needs no more weakening for the youngest infant. I 
have no doubt that the majority of children wlio die in cities 
die from want of food. If persons could get milk pure as it 
comes from the cow, it might need a little water and sugar for 
the new-born child ; but in a few weeks it would be able to 
take it without water and sugar. I have known children, who, 
it was said, were fed with cow's milk without being reduced ; 
and no healthier specimens of humanity need be looked for. 
Persons who keep '' help " of a certain sort should keep the 
children's milk out of their reach. They have a pleasant habit 
of taking out what they want for private use, and replacing 
the amount with an equal quantity of water. Between the 
conscientious milk-peddler and " the help," is it any wonder that 
city children die ? Certainly those who do svirvive ought to 
be able to endure a great deal. If one-half of those born die 
before they are five years of age, I have no doubt but it 
is for want of food. The half-starved child cries, and gets 
soothing-syrup to still it, instead of nourishing food. 

If infants are fed on cow's milk, no bottle with white rubber 
should be used ; but the tube and nipple should be of black 
rubber, free from poison, as the white is not. When not in 
use, keep the rubber in cold water ; and rinse the bottle in 
hot water as soon as used, that it may be clean when wanted. 
Once a week, it is necessary to give it a thorough cleaning 
with a small piece of soap, a spoon of gravel, and only a little 
warm water. Shake the bottle till it is clean, and rinse it till 
perfectly clear. A child six months old is old enough to begin 
to eat something besides milk. A little soft bread mixed with 
it is good. Mashed potato, with salt and milk in it, is also 
good for them. There is more real nourishment in potatoes 
than any one would believe until deprived of them. If a child 
likes chocolate, it should have it, as it is perfectly harmless 
unless adulterated. 

Boil one cup of milk with one cup of water; add one heaped 
teaspoon of Baker's chocolate scraped fine, and three teaspoons 
of sugar; let all boil one minute, and add sufficient cold milk 
to make it "milk-warm." This is for a child of six months 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 179 

and upwards. There are very few young children who like 
the miscellaneous diet of older persons. A few things they 
want, and should have unless hurtful ; but, as a general rule, 
what they want is what they ought to have. Nearly all 
children like fruit ; and nothing is better for them. Oatmeal- 
pudding with milk, or butter and sugar, is good for them. 
Coffee or tea should never be given to children, as they are too 
stimulating. Probably infants suffer more for want of cold 
water to drink as often as needed than for any other thing. 
After they are old enough to call for it, they drink it often. 
Here is an extract from a newspaper : " A little child in 
Albany, exhausted by long-continued and extreme heat, ceased 
to breathe, was mourned as .dead, and laid out for its little 
grave ; when a bystander discovered signs which suggested the 
possibility that life was not absolutely extinct. Cold water 
was applied to its lips ; and, after a while, there appeared signs 
of reviving ; and the child was finally recovered from the 
grave." All this for want of "a little cold water. 

No infant needs "soothing-syrup," paregoric, laudanum, 
morphine, nor any thing else, to stupefy it. It is only an out- 
rage on the poor little things to give it to them. If they 
suffer, they ought to have the power of making it known by 
crying, as this is the only way possible for them to do so ; and 
drugs deprive them of this privilege. Stupefying drugs do not 
relieve any pain, but merely deaden the brain, while the diffi- 
culty remains the same. " Soothing-syrups," I care not what 
old " mother's " name .they bear (probably made and sold by 
some man " for the benefit of an empty pocket "), are an injury 
to any child, and sometimes cause death. And why should they 
not ? Their purpose is to produce the semblance of death ; and 
they really do produce partial death by stupefaction. Nurses 
usually carry something of the sort with them ; and infants will 
sleep from six to twenty-four hours under the effects of their 
dosing. When gone, the mother wonders that her child does 
not sleep as usual, and supposes the nurse has some power to 
charm infants to sleep. She has ; and probably the charm is 
a bottle of morphine. An infant usually sleeps from one to two 



180 TEE EOMEEEEPER. 

hours each half-day, but not more than this. If it is urged 
that the mother is poor, and must work, the answer is, Let her 
immortal treasure have her first care ; and, if there is any time 
left, attend to the work. Intemperance, more than any thing 
else in this country, is the cause of extreme poverty. 

A child sleeps best in the day, in a quiet room. Flies should 
be kept out in summer by window-nets ; and a child will sleep 
better on a bed than on a cradle. It should never be left 
entirely alone, however; for, if it did not roll off the bed (as it 
probably would), it might turn on its face and be smothered, 
as some have been known to roll over, face down, before they 
were four days old. If a child must be left alone a few min- 
utes at a time, it is better to use a cradle than a bed. They 
need no covering, except after being bathed, unless in a cool 
room in cold weather ; as, if dressed sufficiently warm, that is 
generally enough : it certainly is in summer. Some infants are 
obliged to sleep in a noise, and are rocked incessantly while 
asleep ; but it is perfect torture. 

When sleeping on a bed, let them have one soft, thin piUow, 
but no bolster; or, if there must be a bolster, no pillow is 
needed. If infants are laid down to sleep at first without 
rocking, they do not want it, and wake if rocked. It saves a 
great amount of labor to begin right with them. They may 
be fed, and laid on a bed at bedtime, and soon learn to go to 
sleep alone. They should never sleep on a person's arm at 
night : lay them down at first, and they like it best. Cribs 
should have a sack or spring-bottom, as slats are too hard. A 
feather-bed is not too warm in winter; and a straw-bed or 
mattress should be beneath it. If an infant sleeps between 
two persons at night in summer, it will suffer if compelled to 
wear a foot-blanket or petticoat, and will probably cry till it is 
removed. If it sleeps alone, it will need a little more covering 
than when between two persons ; but a woollen blanket is bet- 
ter than a petticoat, as, if too warm, it can easily get out of it. 
The mother can judge pretty nearly of the child's wants by 
her own. 

A child needs two naps a day till a year and a half of age, 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 181 

always allowing for more sleep in summer days than in winter ; 
and from this age, till it has lived three winters and four sum- 
mers, it needs one nap each day, commencing at ten or eleven 
o'clock, and gradually growing later as age increases, sleeping 
at a time one to two hours. Children of three or four years 
who play out of doors in summer, and especiall}'' boys who run 
where they please, become too much exhausted without a daily 
nap, and sleep just as long at night, if they have one, as they 
do without it. The summer sun is too hot for s(*ch children to 
be allowed to play out from twelve to two o'clock. 

If young infants cry, first see if they are wet : they should 
not remain so a minute ; but keep ready plenty of dry warm 
squares for them. If dry, and they still cry, see if it is their 
eating-time, which occurs once in two or three, hours. If 
neither hungry nor wet, and they still cry, probably they are 
sleepy, or tired of being held, and, if laid down, seem to like it. 
Pins should never be put carelessly in their clothing. Most 
persons toss children about too much and too roughly. A 
good rule is, when they are quiet, let them remain so. This 
rule, if followed, would save a great amount of trouble. How 
often do we see, when travelling, persons tossing around quiet 
babies, and trying to make them send out music ! They never 
need violent jumping before they arrive at the age to do it for 
themselves. When a child can walk, it should be bathed as 
early each morning as possible, and told to run and play after 
it, to get warm : it will most likely obey. The top of the head 
is often covered with dust or dandruff, or a mixture of both ; 
but it may be easily removed. Cover the soiled portion with 
sweet-oil ; comb it off with a fine comb ; wash the head, and 
wipe it dry. 

The best place for children, especially in winter, is at home. 
If taken out in cold weather, they are liable to take cold, and 
often take children's diseases, some of which go harder in cold 
than in, warm weather. The mother who will trust her chil- 
dren with hired girls does not deserve to be a mother : if she 
has not patience to take care of them, how can she expect a 
hired person to do so for her ? The mother of young children 



182 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

must expect to find her pleasures at home : if she finds a faith- 
ful servant who takes good care of her child, she loses just so 
much of its love ; and, if the child is condemned to the care 
of a faithless servant, it has untold sorrows, because it dares 
not tell them. But where is one sure of finding a faithful ser- 
vant ? There may be such ; but they are not plenty enough to 
supply the demand for them. Save the children, the hope of 
the country. 

When the sScond child comes, do not make enemies of the 
two at once by telling the first one, as is too often done, "Now 
your nose is out of joint." Thus they may be made enemies 
for life, giving you plenty of trouble for future years. Make 
them friends at once : you can do so, if you choose to, by encour- 
aging the older one to love the new-comer. Do not cast off 
the first one because you have another : isn't your heart large 
enough to hold two ? Still keep your hold on the first one, 
and still carry him along in your heart, and still delight to 
instruct his inquisitive mind. Never give up one of your 
children, but continue to teach and guide them as long as they 
need it : so the path you tread in your own second childhood 
shall blossom with flowers. 

BITES. 

"Dr. Buisson of Paris is said to have saved the lives of 
eighty persons during his professional practice, who had been 
bitten by mad animals, simply by the use of the vapor-bath 
for seven consecutive days, heated to a temperature of from 
130 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit." 

The bite from a rattlesnake is said to have been cured in two 
hours by applying a poultice made of equal parts of onion, 
tobacco, and salt : a cord was also bound tightly around the 
wrist, as the bite was on the finger. The fang of a dead rat- 
tlesnake is said to be as poisonous as that of a live one. Here 
is another antidote for the bite, so it is said : " Thirty grains 
of iodine and ten grains of iodide of potassium, dissolved in 
an ounce of water, applied externally with a bit of cotton, 
sponge, or any thing that will hold the liquid. It can be dis- 



THE EOMEEEEPEE. 183 

solved, and kept for use in a bottle with a glass stopper. It is 
well to stop the circulation by a cord above the bite." 

" Australian physicians are using, with entire success, car- 
bolic acid to cure poisonous snake-bites. It is used externally 
as a caustic to the wound, and internally, a few drops at a 
time, in brandy and water, with magical effect." Probably 
the brandy is given, as sugar is to children, to help the medi- 
cine down, and is of no use. 

'' Diluted ammonia injected into the veins of a person bit- 
ten by a snake has been known to restore consciousness, and 
save the life of one even so far gone as to be comatose before 
the application." 

BOILS. 
Biles is considered a more correct spelling for Job's comfort- 
ers ; but, when one has them, the spelling is not of much im- 
portance. They cause a person to feel sick until they begin to 
discharge ; but are considered good things to work off impuri- 
ties of the system. A poultice of flaxseed-meal is good for 
them till they discharge. 

BROKEN BONES. 
When bones are broken or cut, they should be kept in place, 
if possible, till a surgeon is found. If a child's fingers are cut 
nearly off, bind the hand firmly to that of a well person, and 
keep it so till the surgeon arrives. If sewed on, they will be 
likely to grow again. The bleeding should be stopped at 



BRUISES. 
Slight bruises, or pricks from a pin, needle, fork, or scissors, 
should have spirits of camphor applied immediately. Persons 
have lost a finger merely by pricking it with a needle or with 
scissors. Balm-of-Gilead buds, preserved in rum, are excel- 
lent for bruises. Wormword is also used. Where the skin 
is not broken, it should be rubbed some minutes to prevent the 
blood from settling. Carbolic acid, in water, is used on wounds, 
as it is cleansing and healing. 



184 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

BURNS. 

No person who values life will ever light a fire with kero- 
sene-oil, as an explosion is almost certain to follow. When 
the house is on fire, and persons find themselves in an upper 
story, an umbrella should be opened to descend with, if there 
is no other way of escape, after having thrown out the beds to 
alight on. Or the sheets and blankets may be torn in strips, 
tied together, and firmly fastened to descend by. A little cool 
thought in such cases would have saved many lives. There 
is not so much danger of clothing taking fire from stoves as 
from an open fire ; but, if it. does from any cause, the person 
should lie down on a bed or floor, and roll a woollen blanket, 
quilt, or carpet, around the body, till the fire is smothered. 
Running out of doors for help is certain death. 

The best dressing for a burn is castor-oil and flour, and 
should be applied without delay, and then covered with old 
linen. The pain ceases if the air is kept out ; and, for a small 
burn, a second dressing may be used of plaster made from roll 
salve, on linen. A large burn should have repeated dressings 
of the oil and flour. 

It is well to use all precautions against fire, but also to be 
ready at all times for it. Meal-bags with strings sewed on 
are convenient to keep either for fire or moving ; and clothing 
can be packed very quickly into them. A person should be 
appointed to take care of them afterwards, as many things dis- 
appear when a house is on fire. Trunks should also be ready. 
Salt thrown on a fire puts it out very quickly. 

A barn once took fire, in the upper part, about two o'clock 
in the afternoon of one of the hottest days ever known ; and, 
as no person had been near it at that time, it was supposed to 
have caught fire by the hay being so near to a glass window 
in the south end of it. 

BURYING. 
It has been proved that many persons have accidentally, 
if any carelessness can be called accidental, been buried alive. 
It causes a dread in the living ; for no one can be certain that 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 185 

a like fate does not await him. Some persons seem, when a 
death occurs in a family, to be in a perfect hurry to have a 
funeral. Such indecent haste should he prevented by law, 
and, if necessary, a place provided where the apparently dead 
may repose in safety till decomposition commences, making 
death certain. Many jDersons have been buried with the rose- 
color of health still on their cheeks, merely because some man 
called doctor pronounced them dead. Many, apparently dead, 
have lain a long time in a state called trance, and recovered to 
live years longer. Doubtless a proper amount of heat would 
restore many who die for want of it. 

CANCER. 

Cundurango, a South- American plant, is said to be a cure 
for this disease. One physician writes, that he has cured sev- 
eral cases by the use of the red-clover-blossom. 

CANKEE. 

What is commonly called canker is produced by saleratus 
and other poisons used in food. The remedy is to leave off 
using them. 

CHERRIES. 

A certain physician used to- recommend eating mouldy 
cheese as a quick cure for sickness arising from having eaten 
too many cherries. If children swallow cherry-stones, they 
die unless speedy relief comes by means of emetics and cathar- 
tics. If injections of warm suds will not remove them, give a 
large spoon of castor-oil. 

CHOKING. 

If children are choked with food or bones, try to remove the 
obstruction by running the little finger of the right hand as far 
down the throat as possible ; but the finger-nail, if long, may 
do harm. If this will not do it, give forcible slaps on the 
upper part of the back ; and this will be most likely to force it 
out. " A violent blowing in a child's nostrils " sometimes 
removes obstructions. In all such cases, prevention is better 
than cure. 



186 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

CHOLEEA. 

This dreaded disease selects its victims " from all classes and 
conditions of men, and from all ranks and occupations of life." 
Nurses and attendants often escape taking it. If fatal, it 
terminates in from '' six to thirty hours usually ; although 
sometimes it is continued through several days." Patients 
have recovered where "only a little hot drink and external 
warmth were used." External warmth should always be 
applied, as persons suffering from cholera are said to suffer 
more from cold than from any other cause. Some, after being 
apparently dead, have recovered by being surrounded by bags 
of hot ashes. A better way of supplying heat, and one that 
would soon produce perspiration, is to keep a saucer of rum 
constantly burning under the patient's bed, and have the bed 
so covered, that the hot air or vapor will surround the body, 
and keep it warm. No part should be left uncovered, except- 
ing the head ; nor should the vapor be allowed to escape from 
under the bed. After restoration, wash or burn all clothing 
and bedding used. 

COLDS. 

Colds or chills taken in summer more often prove fatal 
than in winter to children. A sudden fall of temperature in 
summer is often the cause of diarrhoea and summer-complaints ; 
and young children die suddenly from this cause. Additional 
wool clothing cannot be put on too soon in such cases : a flannel 
skirt or a sack may be all that is needed, and do much good. 
Probably those who have cholera would escape it did they not 
receive a chill. When a person is very tired, thoroughly 
exhausted, it is much easier to take cold than at other times. 
Joy keeps the blood circulating briskly, and keeps off a cold ; 
while sorrow has the opposite effect. If people never took 
colds, it is almost certain they would only die of old age, as it 
is the common cold, so little feared and oft repeated, that 
brings oh consumption, fevers, rheumatism, and death. Soft 
woollen clothing is the best preventive of chills ; and a cold 
morning-bath comes next. Of course, the feet must be pro- 
tected by thick shoes and woollen hose in winter, as they are 



TEE HOMEEEEPER. 187 

exposed to cold continually. If tlie feet or body must remain 
wet, — as when a shower comes up, and one is unprepared for it, 
— animal heat should be kept up by constant exercise ; and, in 
this case, no harm will follow. It is a mistaken notion that" 
the soles of shoes should be thinner in summer than in winter, 
as grass is always wet in the morning, and there are frequent 
rains. We lose much health and enjoyment by unsuitable 
clothing. What child would not enjoy a romp in the fields 
and woods if provided with suitable coverings for the feet ! 
But " mamma's little lady " loses all this pleasure. 

A calico dress worn in the forenoon, and changed for muslin 
in the afternoon or evening, is productive of colds. Muslin 
should be worn in summer mornings, as it is quite as cheap as 
any other fabric. In winter nights, after sleep commences, 
children often suffer from a hacking cough, which greatly dis- 
turbs them. See that their feet are warm ; and, if not, put a 
jug, well corked, of hot water in the bed, some ways below the 
feet, and give them all the quince-jelly they will eat every 
time they are waked by coughing. This jelly acts like a 
charm ; but, if ho quince can be obtained, a quarter of a tea- 
spoon of paregoric in a little water, with sugar, may be given, 
but not unless very necessary, as its effect next day is to make 
the child irritable. Eor a severe cold give a rum-sweat, 

COLIC. 
Give peppermint-tea, or a few drops of essence of pepper- 
mint in warm water, with sugar. 

CONSUMPTION. 

This is the result of the common cold as sure as any effect 
follows it cause ; but even this is not without its cure, if taken 
in season. The first and most essential remedy is exercise in 
pure air, if able to take exercise : walking or flower-gardening 
is best. Housework is beneficial, if the doors or windows are 
open to admit pure air ; and horseback-riding, perhaps, comes 
next. Singing expands and strengthens the lungs so much, 
that it is almost impossible for the constant singer to have this 



188 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

disease, unless the singing is done in some theatre, or house 
improperly called the house of God ; for he never made a place 
so filled with foul gases as the houses where he is " wor- 
shipped" hy hired singers. 

Cheerfulness does a great deal towards curing this disease, 
and eating only twice a day still more. Consumptives are 
oppressed with too much food if they eat three meals a day ; 
hut what they do eat should he nourishing. Cod-liver-oil is 
sometimes taken ; hut it is douhtful if it is of much use. Where 
one is already overworked, rest and riding do more good than 
self-exercise. No stimulants are needed, as they retard a 
cure : especially is this true of alcoholic drinks. No one who 
persists in using tohacco in any form need expect to get cured 
of this disease, as that is impossible. It is no wonder that a 
large proportion of the deaths in cities are caused hy consump- 
tion, as pure air is impossible where impudent smokers, in 
defiance of law and decency, pollute the air of a city from one 
extremity to the other. A Bergh is needed to stand between 
humanity and slow death by tobacco-poison. A man residing 
in a certain city lost his health, and removed to his native 
place to die of consumption. On the breaking-out of the war, 
thinking he might as well die on the field as anywhere, he 
volunteered. He served until the close of the war, and " came 
home a robust, strong man, notwithstanding the hardships he 
had undergone, and in spite of the predictions of the faculty." 

A change of climate by going either South or West is sup- 
posed to be beneficial ; hut probably rest, outdoor air, and new 
scenes to attract the mind from self, and, above all, hope, 
accomplish all the good that is done. Dr. Hall gives his 
opinion that "moderate, continuous bodily activities in the open 
air, with a mind intensely and pleasurably interested in some 
highly-remunerative pursuit, will cure any case of consump- 
tion where cure is possible ; and if this fails, so will all else.'' 

Bathing and sleep should not be neglected, and dress, as 
well as other things, regulated by rules necessary to general 
health. Some persons appear to think there is a sovereign 
virtue in the air around the White Hills of New Hampshire ; 



THE nOMEEEEPER. 189 

and perhaps there is during the middle of the hottest days : but, 
as soon as night approaches, the change in the temperature is 
too great to allo.w of invalids sitting out of doors, as they do, 
in safety. Many go there only to become worse, or die. They 
never would think of sitting out of doors at home in such a 
chilling atmosphere. 

CONSTIPATION. 
This is not conducive to comfort, health, nor beauty, but 
may be cured by eating coarse bread, ripe fruits, well-cooked 
vegetables and meat, and being satisfied with two daily meals. 

CONTAGION. 
Iodine in a box with a perforated cover is said by a London 
physician to keep off contagion. 

CONTRACTED CORDS. 
These may, in some cases, be cured by rubbing often with 
sunfish-oil, than which nothing is better. Sailors keep and 
use it for rheumatism, and others can seldom procure it ; but it 
should be kept by apothecaries. Instead of this, when a sun- 
fish is caught, it is left till it becomes a nuisance, and is buried. 
Cords that cannot be cured -can be straightened, leaving a stiff 
joint, which is better to have than one which is stiff and con- 
tracted too. This can be done at home by the patient ; and 
little or no pain attends the operation. If it is a knee that is 
contracted, and the hip is not injured nor the bones grown 
together, the person can be made to walk nearly as well as any 
one. Have a splint with a joint and screw under the knee ; 
bandage the whole limb tightly to it to prevent swelling, and 
to hold it firm ; then very gradually straighten it by turning 
the screw, only a little each day at first, and it will be found to 
be a pleasure, rather than a painful operation as it is as usually 
managed by surgeons. Wear the splint one to two hours each 
half-day, and rest at night as much as possible. Persevere in 
this course till the limb is straight. It may take a long time ; 
but a cure is sure to be effected. 



190 THE HOMEEEEPER. 

COENS. 
These are supposed to be produced by wearing tight shoes. 
It is not always safe to trust their cure to those who profess to 
cure them, as death sometimes results. Dr. Hall recommends 
wearing a piece of buckskin fastened over them, with an aper- 
ture the size of the corn, and the corn to be rubbed often with 
sweet-oil till it is loose enough to be taken out with the fingers. 

CROUP. 
Croup attacks children very suddenly sometimes ; and relief 
must be speedy, or death may result. This disease is the result 
of a cold or chill ; and warmth is all that is needed, unless the 
breathing is very bad. Some heat raw onions, and bind on 
the throat ; and others use the oil of a goose, rubbing it on the 
throat and over the lungs. What is called a rum-sweat would 
be more effectual, and sooner bring relief. Lay the child into 
a crib or cot-bed, and burn rum under it as directed for a rum- 
sweat. It is work to take care of sick children ; and biit few 
would die if properly cared for. After giving a child a rum- 
sweat, it is not safe to leave it through the night, as, if it gets 
uncovered, it will get chilled, and most likely die. When 
thoroughly cooled in the morning, give it a towel-bath of water, 
not too cold nor too warm, and rub it till a good circulation is 

produced. 

CUTS. 

Cuts, if deep, must be sewed w-ith a sharp, slim needle and 
white sewing-silk. If there is any dirt in them, wash in cold 
water, as " warm is more likely to cause them to bleed." If 
necessary tb plaster them after sewing, buy " surgeons' adhe- 
sive plaster," cut it in long, narrow strips, and apply across 
the cut, and crossing each other oblique]3^ Geraniiim-leaves, 
when bruised and applied to small cuts or bruises, cause them 
to heal quickly. " The best thing to stop the bleeding of a 
moderate cut instantly is to cover it profusely with cobweb, or 
flour and salt, half and half." 

DEAFNESS. 
This is often caused by the wax drying in the ear, either as 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 191 

a result of fever, or of a dry wind blowing long on it. Sweet- 
oil, often applied with a feather, will remove the wax, and, in 
some cases, cure the deafness. Children are sometimes deaf 
from having a cold. At bedtime apply several burdock-leaves 
which have steeped in vinegar a few minutes over the ear 
affected, cover with several layers of white flannel, and, last, 
a nightcap. It is always best to try these remedies for some 
time ; and, if they fail, employ none but a first-class surgeon 
to operate on that delicate organ. 

DIAREHffiA. 

This may result from various causes ; but one of them is 
said to be drinking lead-pipe water. If persons in cities can 
get no other water to drink, they had better follow the exam- 
ple of a New- York phj^sician, who purchases a sufficient quan- 
tity of ice to aiford him all the water needed in his family for 
drinking and cooking. Refrigerators should be so made as to 
save all the ice-water in a pure state, with a faucet to draw it 
off when wanted. A fall of temperature in summer also brings 
on this disease ; and flannel should be worn at all times next 
the body. The herb called peppermint, made into a tea, warms 
the bowels, and is beneficial. Violently-hot remedies, such as 
red pepper, brandy, and others similar, do more harm than 
good. Sometimes rest is all that is needed to effect a cure. 
Ripe fruits, if peeled, are a benefit ; and well-cooked vegetables 
do no harm. Rhubarb-jelly is an excellent remedy; and white 
sugar is used by some as a cure. Water which has hops soak- 
ing in it is said to be better than clear water. Ice-water should 
not be used ; but warm drinks are better. Boiled milk is bet- 
ter than fresh, and flour-bread than coarse. Rice is excellent. 

Much travel up stairs, as in cities, is weakening to the, 
bowels. There is another cause of chronic diarrhoea ; and it is 
"moderate drinking," usually ending only in death. Hall's 
" Journal of Health " gives an account of a moderate drinker, 
" who never dined without his brandy and water, and who was 
never known to be drunk : he died of chronic diarrhoea, a com- 
mon end of those who are never intoxicated, and never out of ' 



192 THE nOMEEEEPER. 

liquor. Months before he died, — he was a year in dying, — he 
could eat nothing without distress ; and, at death, the whole 
alimentary canal was a mass of disease." 

Half-cooked, indigestible food furnishes some men with an 
excuse for using brandy at meals ; and, in such cases, is the 
wife wholly guiltless ?' Food cooked as it should be will digest 
best without liquors; but the half-cooked is productive of 
diarrhoea as well as of drinking. 

DIPHTHERIA. 
Various recipes have been recommended ; but warmth should 
be tried first. Probably a rum-sweat would do more good 
than all of them. 

DRESS. 

Very little if any improvement is needed in most men's dress, 
except to cover the chest more ; but the dress of women and 
children is almost as bad as it is possible to be made. Little 
girls try to imitate women, even to the horrid stoop which has 
been so fashionable, till they might be mistaken for their 
grandmothers, so round have their backs become. It is mel- 
ancholy, and denotes a want of brains. Men never will be 
convinced that women are superior, or even equal, to them, as 
long as they continue to torture themselves into all sorts of 
chronic diseases by dress which they suppose is admired. 
Changing fashions are ruinous to health. 

The lungs are compressed with those instruments of torture 
called corsets till the wearer can hardly breathe at all ; the 
uterus is pushed down till this becomes a permanent ail- 
ment, and all sorts of devices but the right one are endured to 
effect a cure ; the clothing is suspended from the waist instead 
of the shoulders, where it should be, and this disease is still 
more aggravated. As if this were not weight enough, stocking- 
supporters are fastened around the waist, above the hips ; to 
add to the torture, high-heeled boots are worn till the spine 
becomes so weak, that the individual cannot walk ; the toes are 
pinched so as to make walking impossible (the wearer waddles, 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 193 

and supposes this fashionable) ; and the ears are left outside 
in winter to produce deafness. 

It is useless to suppose women will ever dress differently till 
it becomes fashionable to do so. Frequently may be seen 
items in the papers stating that a woman has become helpless 
from paralysis caused by tight lacing, or another has burst a 
blood-vessel in the same way. Could all the back-chambers 
and retreats of the sick be' unveiled at once, what a sight 
would meet the wondering gaze ! But, unfortunately for those 
who persist in a wrong course of dress, the sufferers from it 
are hidden from sight ; and so it is supposed safe to go on in 
this dangerous course. If it is necessary for a man to wear a 
loose dress, it is much more so for women : if men are not able 
to carry so manj'- pounds of clothing suspended from the mid- 
dle of the body, much less so are women. They have all they 
ought to do to carry themselves around so dressed. It is 
hoped the time will come that they will dress as sensibly as 
men do ; but it will have to become fashionable first. 

Woollen clothing should always be worn next the body, — 
thick in winter, with high neck and long sleeves ; and thin in 
summer, with short sleeves, and with low neck if wanted : but 
men's under-garments will have to be purchased for winter, as 
those made for women are not thicker than gauze flannel. 
Woven woollen drawers should be worn in winter, held up 
by suspenders over the shoulders, and attaching to the drawers 
by hooks in four button-holes. This arrangement is not at all 
troublesome, and thus a complete wool suit is afforded for a 
foundation. In summer, the flannel garment should be 
changed at night, as it is best not to wear any clothing at 
night which was worn through the day. The clothing should 
be left in a warm bathing-room to dry at night if possible. 
Hoop-skirts never should be discarded, as they are a great im- 
provement on a whole load of heavy skirts such as were for- 
merly worn ; but these, too, should have a pair of suspenders 
to- hold them up ; and all other skirts should be attached to 
them by four button-holes in the binding of each. Not morte 
than one or two, however, should be worn, as weight without 
13 



194 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

warmtL. is a burden ; and, if more clothing is needed for warmth, 
apply it beneath the hoop, and fasten it to one pair or the other 
of the suspenders. 

It is amusing to see stocking-supporters recommended ; as 
if the lower limbs were not able to bear the fastening of the 
hose around them, while the already burdened hips are in- 
vited to do a little more. No corsets or tight waists are 
needed for health, comfort, nor beauty of outline. Did not 
her Creator know what he was about when he made woman ? 
By her actions, she says no. Whoever dares to improve on his 
plan must suffer the consequences ; and they are not long in 
coming. "Wrong as it is to dress one's self so, it is much more 
so to dress children in corsets and tight dresses. I once knew 
a woman who had the lowest fastening on her little girl's 
waist much tighter than the others, " so as to make a bishop " 
of the skirt. Bundles worn on the back heat it too much, and 
cause spinal diseases. It is no wonder there are no healthy 
American women ; and it is impossible to find a woman who 
will say she is well, except in answer to " How do you do ? " 

Lace collars afford more comfort in' summer than thicker 
ones, and have the advantage of being easily done up. When 
they become yellow, spread them on grass to bleach. Furs 
should never be worn, as they heat one so much, especially 
around the neck, that a chill is sure to follow. A woollen scarf 
is all that is ever needed around the neck. Muffs prevent a 
healthful and easy manner of walking, doing much harm, and 
no good whatever. When riding in cold weather, woollen 
gloves are as warm as are needed. Drapery or loose sleeves 
in winter are productive of colds and consumption, as the 
cold air striking under the arms chills the lungs. In sum- 
mer, short sleeves are sufficient for health. Open bosoms to 
dresses should not be allowed, as the air chills the lungs too 
much. 

Children should be clothed so as to produce health and com- 
fort ; and girls need as thick clothing and shoes as do boys, and, 
when they get them, should be allowed to play the same as boys 
without being called tomboy. It is almost impossible to wear 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 195 

too much clothing in winter, or too little for health in sum- 
mer, unless the weather changes suddenly to cold : in this 
case, clothing cannot be increased too soon. Formerly infants' 
and children's arms and necks suffered in winter from naked- 
ness : now they are bundled up in summer too much, as if one 
extreme must follow the other. Children's skirts are always 
made too short, as, when they sit down, a cold seat must be 
warmed by their body, and a chill must follow. The practice 
of having a row of buttons on their skirts for them to sit on 
cannot be pleasant to them. In summer, dresses with low 
necks are best for young persons, as, when the air passes freely, 
the perspiration is dried as soon as emitted ; but, if soaked up 
by the clothing, it becomes disagreeable, chilling, and unhealthy. 
Sitting out of doors in summer is conducive to health, as the 
air dries the perspiration from the whole body before the cloth- 
ing can absorb it. Foreign women who come to this country 
usually have strength enough, and it is due to the short dress, 
and wide, thick shoes, which enable them to work out of doors, 
as is their custom "in the old country." But, if they at- 
tempt to dress in that way here, they are ridiculed by the 
young. 

There is nothing worse for the feet and spine than wearing 
high-heeled shoes. It brings the body into an unnatural po- 
sition, causing a pain in the spine and limbs. Women not 
only wear shoes so small that they can only waddle instead of 
walk, but they also pinch the growing feet of children out of 
all shape. ISTo one can walk a mile in a city without seeing 
children's feet squeezed into shoes two or three sizes too small 
for them ; and this frequently causes a scowl on their faces. 
When buying shoes for children, the foot should first be meas- 
ured in length and width, and the shoes purchased a little lon- 
ger than this measure. Were this tried, mothers would be 
surprised to see the difference in the shoes now worn (being 
actually shorter than the feet) and the measure of the feet. 
Children should have cheap clothes, and plenty of changes, 

A woman may have the appearance of being ten years older 
or younger by a want of correct taste in dress, or the opposite. 



196 THE EOMEKEEPER. 

The skin grows darker, usually, as the person grows older ; and 
whether dark naturally, or from the effect of years, no colors 
are as becoming as red and orange. Such a complexion never 
appears to advantage in a setting of all white or black, but 
needs one or the other of these colors to relieve it. Light blue 
and drab harmonize well, and improve a blonde. Green brings 
out all the rose-color there is in the face ; and those few who have 
too much of it should avoid this color, while those who have 
only little are vastly improved by it. Blue and yellow harmo- 
nize well, also dark blue and brown. Pink is best for a blonde, 
but not so becoming to a brunette as red. A woman appears 
to best advantage when dressed in one sober color for a base, 
and only one bright color for ornament in bonnet-flowers, 
gloves, scarf or bow, and other trimmings. The trimming on 
the dress should be a shade darker than the dress, or black. 
The woman who always dresses in accordance with the rules 
of good taste is generally the one who is considered extrava- 
gant, simply because she always appears well ; while the un- 
initiated know nothing of her make-up. Black is the cheap- 
est dress, as it can be made over, as long as any thing is left of 
it, into some kind of a garment ; but those dresses which often- 
est need washing, as white and light ones, are certainly the 
neatest as well as most expensive. It is poor economy to buy 
mixed fabrics, as neither the cloth nor the colors wear well ; 
but all wool, or all cotton, or all linen, are most durable. Linen 
never should be worn for under-garments. Skirts should al- 
ways be made of a material easy to wash ; although they need 
not be white for all dresses, brown linen being a good material 
for them. 

" Mourning " is usually worn because it is fashionable. The 
real mourner has no inclination to bustle about and arrange a 
completely new toilet in so short a time ; and it shows more 
disrespect to the departed than respect. It is also very expen- 
sive ; and the poor cannot afford it, but think they must not be 
singular. Persons of wealth should set them a better example. 
" But, when ye fast " or mourn, " be not as the hypocrites, of a 
sad ceuntenance." 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 197 

DROWNED. 

There used to be a small book on philosophy to be studied 
by children ; and in it were directions for floating when acci- 
dentally in the water. I never read or heard of but one person 
who tried it ; and she was saved. The directions were to lie on 
the back, spread out the limbs and fingers to make as much 
breadth as possible, and, keeping the feet a little lower than 
the head, fill the lungs as deeply as possible at each breathing ; 
also lie quietly till help comes. It is asserted that any one 
who is not frightened can swim ; but some persons are so sure 
they shall drown, that they do. Not long since, a man was 
floundering about in the Mississippi Kiver, and called to the 
pilot of a passing steamboat to come and save him. Tbe pilot 
told him to stand up ; and he did so, finding there were only 
three feet of water for him to drown in. Very fleshy people 
cannot sink easily, but float like cork. 

It is an erroneous idea that persons should be given up as 
dead without making an effort to save them, even if they were 
in the water sojne time. A little girl ten years of age, while 
bathing in a river, " sank ; and her companion went for assist- 
ance. She was found about half an hour after she sank, taken 
to the shore, and appeared to be dead. The usual remedies 
were applied ; and, about twelve hours after she was taken out, 
she became slightly conscious, but did not gain her entire con- 
sciousness until two days after." 

It is feared many persons are given up who might be saved 
by persistent effort. After being in water, they suffer more 
from cold than from an}'- other cause. Breathing must be re- 
stored first, and warmth continued all the time till recovery is 
certain. 

Here are directions for restoring the apparently drowned : — 

" The leading principles of the following directions for the 
restoration of the apparently dead from drowning are founded 
on those of the late Dr. Marshall Hall, combined with those of 
Dr. H. R. Sylvester ; and are the result of extensive inquiries 
which were made by the Eoyal National Life-boat Institution 
of England among medical men, medical bodies, and coroners 



198 THE HOMEKEEPEE. 

throughout the kingdom. These directions have been exten- 
sively circulated throughout the United Kingdom and in the 
Colonies : they are also in use in the navy, in the coast-guard 
service, and at all the stations of the British army both at 
home and abroad. 

I. 

" Send immediately for medical assistance, blankets, and 
dry clothing ; but proceed to treat the patient instantly on the 
spot, in the open air, with the face downward, whether on shore 
or afloat ; exposing the face, neck, and chest to the wind, except 
in severe weather, and removing all tight clothing from the 
neck and chest, especially the braces. The points to be 
aimed at are, first and immediately, the restoration of breath- 
ing ; and secondly, after breathing is restored, the promotion 
of warmth and circulation. The efforts to restore breathing 
must be commenced immediately and energetically, and perse- 
vered in for one or two hours, or until a medical man has pro- 
nounced that life is extinct. Efforts to promote warmth and 
circulation, beyond removing the wet clothes and drying the 
skin, must not be made until the first appearance of natural 
breathing has recommenced ; for, if circulation of the blood be 
induced before breathing, the restoration to life will be en- 
dangered. 

II. 

" To clear the throat, place the patient on the floor or ground, 
with the face downwards, and one of the arms under the fore- 
head ; in which position all fluids will more readily escape by 
the mouth, and the tongue itself will fall forward, leaving the 
entrance into the windpipe free. Assist this operation by 
wiping and cleansing the mouth. If satisfactory breathing 
commences, use the treatment described below to promote 
warmth. If there be only slight breathing, or no breathing, 
or if the breathing fail, then, to excite breathing, turn the 
patient well and instantly on the side, supporting the head, 
and excite the nostrils with snuff, hartshorn, and smelling- 
salts, or tickle the throat with a feather if at hand. Eub the 
chest and face warm, and dash cold water, or cold and warm 



THE HOMEKEEPER 199 

water alternately, on them. If there be no success, lose not a 
moment,- but instantly, to imitate breathing, replace the patient 
on the face, raising and supporting the chest well on a folded 
coat or other article of dress. Turn the body very gently on 
the side and a little beyond, and then briskly on the face, 
back again, repeating these measures cautiously, efficiently, 
and perse veringly, about fifteen times in the minute, or once 
every four or five seconds, occasionally varying the side. 

"On each occasion that the body is replaced on the face, make 
uniform but efficient pressure, with brisk movement, on the back, 
between and below the shoulder-blades, or bones on each side, 
removing the pressure immediately before turning the body on 
the side. During the whole of the operations, let one person 
attend solely to the movements of the head, and of the arm 
placed under it (the first measure increases the expiration; 
the second commences inspiration.) : the result is respiration 
or natural breathing, and, if not too late, life. While the 
above operations are being proceeded with, dry the hands and 
feet, and, as soon as dry clothing or blankets can be procured, 
strip the body, and cover or gradually reclothe it, taking care 
not to interfere with the efforts to restore breathing. 

III. 

" Should these efforts not prove successful in the course of 
from two to five minutes, proceed to imitate breathing by Dr. 
Sylvester's method, as follows : — 

" Place the patient on the back on a flat surface inclined a 
little upwards from the feet ; raise and support the head and 
shoulders on a small firm cushion, or folded article of dress, 
placed under the shoulder-blades. Cleanse the mouth and 
nostrils ; draw forward the patient's tongue, and keep it pro- 
jecting beyond the lips : an elastic band over the tongue and 
under the chin will answer this purpose ; or a piece of string or 
tape maybe tied round them; or, by raising the lower jaw, the 
teeth may be made to retain the tongue in that 'position. 
Remove all tight clothing from about the neck and chest, 
especially the braces. 



200 THE HOMEEEEPER. 

"To imitate tlie movements of breathing, standing at the 
patient's head, grasp the arms gently and steadily upwards 
above the head, and keep them stretched upwards for two 
seconds (by this means, air is drawn into the lungs) ; then 
turn down the patient's arms, and press them gently and firmly 
fo»r two seconds against the sides of the chest (by this means, 
air is pressed out of the lungs). 

" Eepeat these measures alternately, deliberately, and per- 
severingly, about fifteen times in a minute, until a spontaneous 
effort to respire is perceived ; immediately upon which cease to 
imitate the movements of breathing, and proceed to induce 
circidation and warmth. 

IV. 

"After natural breathing has been restored, to promote 
warmth and circulation wrap the , patient in dry blankets ; 
commence rubbing the limbs upward with firm, grasping 
pressure and energy, using handkerchiefs, flannels, &c. (by 
this measure, the blood is propelled along the veins towards 
the heart). The friction must be continued under the blanket, 
or over the dry clothing. Promote the warmth of the body by 
the application of hot flannels, bottles, or bladders of hot water, 
heated bricks, &c., to the pit of the stomach, the arm-pits, 
between the thighs, and to the soles of the feet. If the patient 
has been carried to a house after respiration has been restored, 
be careful to let the air play freely about the room. 

" On the restoration of life, a teaspoonful of warm water 
should be given; and then, if the power of swallowing has 
returned, small quantities of wine, warm brandy and water, or 
coffee, should be administered. The patient should be kept in 
bed, and a disposition to sleep encouraged. 

" The above treatment should be persevered in for some hours, 
as it is an erroneous opinion that persons are irrecoverable 
because life does not soon make its appearance ; persons having 
been restored after persevering for many hours. 

"The appearances which generally accompany death are, 
breathing and the heart's action cease entirely ; the eyelids are 



TEE HOMEKEEPER. 201 

generally half closed, the pupils dilated, the jaws clinched, the 
fingers semi-contracted ; the tongue approaches to the under 
edges of the lips, and these, as well as the nostrils, are covered 
with a frothy mucus. Coldness and pallor of surface increase. 

" Prevent unnecessary crowding of persons round the body, 
especially if in an apartment. Avoid rough usage; and do not 
allow the body to remain on the back, unless the tongue is 
secured. Under no circumstances hold the body up by the 
feet. On no account place the body in a warm bath, unless 
under medical direction ; and, even then, it should only be 
emploj'ed as a momentary excitant. 

" The actual condition is here due to the same cause as in 
death by hanging, — the non-entrance of air into the lungs. 
If repeated attempts at breathing be made while the patient 
is in the water, air will escape from the chest, and water may 
pass into the air-passages ; but this intrusion of water is no 
necessary condition of drowning. 

" Hence no attempts need be made, as our forefathers 
taught, to remove the water from the chest by rolling the body, 
face downwards, on a barrel, &c." 

A vessel containing burning rum under the bed would be the 
most effectual way of restoring warmth after breathing has 
commenced. 

DEUNKENNESS. 

If moderate drinking is not a sin, certainly drunkenness is 
not ; for the habit becomes so fixed, that it is next to impossible 
for the drunkard to leave off drinking. The first step in any 
crime is as criminal as the last ; for all know to what it leads. 
But, if the drunkard has no power to reform himself, his friends 
may have ; and he should be regarded as insane, and treated as 
such : in this way, recovery is possible. 

One would think it would be enough to read what villanous 
compounds are sold for drink to deter any person from their 
use ; and even unadulterated grape-wine is not made in the 
neatest possible manner, if treading it out is the custom, as 
asserted. 

Absinthe-drinking has become, it is said, common in Paris ; 



202 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

althougli tlie article is a dangerous, intoxicating poison. It 
seems, its friends say, " to impart renewed activity to an 
enfeebled brain, developing a world of new ideas." It is much 
better that an enfeebled brain should rest, instead of being 
goaded on when tired. 

"Those who habitually use it soon find that they can pro- 
duce positively nothing in literature without its aid, and that 
a time arrives when heavy stupor supersedes that excitement 
of the intellectual faculties which once seemed so easy and so 
harmless. It is an ignoble poison, destroying life not until it 
has more or less brutalized its votaries, and made drivelling 
idiots of them." 

Here is an extract, from a newspaper, on wine : " No variety 
of wine is more dangerous to use than what is called claret. It 
is usually a vile mixture. Thousands of gallons are made by 
allowing water to soak through shavings, and adding thereto a 
certain proportion of logwood and tartaric acid and a little 
alcohol. Good judges can hardly discriminate between this and 
the genuine article." 

It is probable that no liquors sold are any purer than this 
mixture, aU being more or less adulterated, and mixed with 
poisons to give them strength or fire. Even home-made wine, 
although pure, is not safe to use as a drink. 

" A reclaimed drunkard went to a neighboring town to 
attend a funeral. • On the way he stopped at the house of an 
acquaintance, and the lady of the house congratulated him on 
his reform. He asked for a glass of water : she brought him a 
glass of domestic wine, which he thoughtlessly drank. This 
caused a return of his old appetite, and he went out and got 
drunk. The next morning, in the Police Court, he paid a fine 
by selling his overcoat, and, having twenty-five cents left, got 
drunk again without leaving Court Square, and was again 
taken to the Tombs, where he was found by his friends, and 
taken home in an almost crazed condition." 

" Pure liquors " are made by the aid of camphene, benzine, 
strychnine, logwood, tartaric acid, elderberries, cocculus indi- 
cus, grains of paradise, copperas, and many other things. 



I 



THE HOMEKEErER. 203 

" Ten dollars' wortli of stryclinine or other poisonous drugs 
will impart to a barrel of beer double tlie strength of that 
value of hops ; and, with the present skill in chemical prepara- 
tions, hardly a gallon of pure liquor is necessary to produce 
thousands of gallons. The California wines offered for sale 
are very largely but the made-up manufacture of certain estab- 
lishments in this city." This last extract is from " The New- 
York Commonwealth." 

Of cider-drinking in former times Greeley says, " The 
•farmer, returning weary from his daily toil, ate his supper, and 
sat down by his fireside to talk and drink through the evening. 
Mug after mug of cider was drawn and drank; neighbors 
dropping in to share with his family the chat and its exhilara- 
tion. The boys wbo graduated from those firesides too often 
evinced at an early age an insatiable appetite for stimulants ; 
an appetite created, but by no means satisfied, by cider ; an 
appetite which very often consigned them to early and unhon- 
ored graves. I have known whole families to be burnt out, and 
their farm sacrificed, by the fiery thirst palpably generated by 
sucking and soaking around the family cider-barrel." 

This is true, as every one knows who has had any oppor- 
tunity for observation ; and yet we are constantly told by some 
that cider-drinking is harmless, and not in itself intoxicating. 
I once saw a child, two and a half years of age, who could 
hardly walk after drinking a considerable quantity of cider. 

Dr. Chandler of St. Alban's, Vt., writes, "I have never 
known an instance of recovery from habitual drunkenness 
except by total abstinence at once from all intoxicating bever- 
ages ; and, in a professional practice exceeding half a century, 
I have never known deatb or disaster of any sort to follow as 
the result of such treatment; and I have never known an 
instance of ultimate prosperity in business, in any young man, 
who commenced with indulgence in alcoholic convivialities." 

"Mr. Smith, the governor of the Edinburgh jail, states, that, 
out of one hundred and fifty thousand criminals who had 
passed through his hands, — many of whom had been great 
drinkers, and whose liquor was cut off when they crossed the 



204 THE nOMEKEEPER. . 

jail-door, — not one case of injury had occurred by the drink 
being taken from the person at once." 

It requires a person of strong will to cure himself of drunk- 
enness ; and even then he may require aid. The prescription 
by which John Vine Hall was assisted to reform, and which 
he published to save others, is as follows : " Sulphate of iron, 
five grains ; magnesia, ten grains ; peppermint-water, eleven 
drachms ; spirit of nutmeg, one drachm : twice a day." 

Probably a persistent use of lemonade would be just as 
beneficial. 

It is said that the Dutch cure drunkenness by secluding the 
patient, and mixing alcohol in all his food and drink till he 
becomes sick of it, and a little longer. 

DYSPEPSIA. 

Dyspepsia is caused by irregular eating, either between 
meals or in a hurry, or too many times in a day, or by improp- 
er, half-cooked food. No person can be well, or live to great 
age, who eats between meals. It frequently brings on other 
diseases. No grown person should ever eat more than two 
fuU meals a day ; and the dyspeptic would soon enjoy health if 
this rule were followed, as no drugs, nor any thing else but mod- 
erate eating of thoroughly-cooked food, are needed to cure this 
disease. 

EAR-ACHE. 

Ear-ache is often produced by getting cold, and may be 
reheved quickly by applying sweet-oil on cotton or wool to the 
inside of the ear, or using a feather to convey the oil. If this 
is not effectual, steep some burdock-leaves, either green or dry, 
in vinegar, and apply them over the ear as hot as may be 
endured ; bind on several layers of old white flannel, and lie 
down. Children who sleep in a cold room in winter sometimes 
suffer from ear-ache, when all that is needed is a flannel night- 
cap : it should not be tied tight enough to hurt them, but in a 
single bow-knot. Here is an extract from a newspaper : " A 
little -Jjoy (giving name) died a day or two since of paralysis 
induced by laying his ears on the rails of a railroad-track to 



THE IIOMEKEEPER. 205 

hear the sound produced by other boys pounding the track 
with stones." 

EYES. 

When dirt or any foreign substance gets into the eye, a 
person who has calm nerves should turn up the eyelid ; and, 
if the substance is seen, it may be taken out with the point 
of a lead-pencil without injuring the eye ; or first wash it in 
milk and water, as this is sometimes all that is necessary. 

Here is an extract from " The Scientific American : " — 

" Take a horsehair, and double it so as to leave a loop ; and, 
if the mote can be seen, lay the loop over it, close the eye, and 
then draw out the loop. The mote will come with it. If the 
mote cannot be seen, place the loop as far in the eye as pos- 
sible ; then close the eye, and roll the ball round a few times ; 
draw out the hair, and the mote will probably be found 
on it." 

The eye never should be rubbed with the fingers unless 
they are perfectly clean, as it is the most delicate and sen- 
sitive part of the body. A young milliner dangerously poi- 
soned one of her eyes by rubbing it after handling French 
flowers. " Persons addicted to solitary vice sometimes ruin 
or injure the eyes in rubbing them." 

If any lime gets in the eyes, its effects may be neutralized 
if cider-vinegar is immediately applied. Veils worn out of 
doors to preserve the complexion greatly injure the eyes ; so 
do curls worn to hang near the eyes. Reading when sick or 
when reclining weakens the eyes ; so does an insufficient 
light, or trying to study or work when sleepy. Evening work 
or study that requires ej^esight should never be allowed : even- 
ing was made for rest and enjoyment. If persons did not 
injure their eyes needlessly, it is doubtful if glasses would ever 
be needed ; but, if they are, it is poor economy to continue 
to wear them if they do not fit the sight. Near sight is a 
defect which sometimes ends in blindness. If the eyes are 
defective, it is cheapest to employ none but a first-class oculist, 
and this before it is too late. Children with a cold sometimes 
have gummy eyes : wash them in milk and water, or clean 
warm water, with soft linen. 



206 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

FAINTING. 

Dr. Hall says, " If a man faints, place liim on liis back, and 
let him alone." If a woman faints, most likely it is because 
her clothing is so tight it has stopped her breath : therefore 
loosen it ; and, if bound by lacings, cut them at once. Some- 
times fainting is caused by foul air ; and the person recovers 
on being carried out of doors. A glass of water should be 
given. 

FELON. 

If not attended to in season, the finger has to be lanced, 
and, in some cases, the bone scraped : to prevent this, make a 
lye by pouring boiling water on wood-ashes, and put the felon 
into it as hot as can be endured, and keep it there as long as 
convenient. E-epeat this if necessary. 

FEVERS. 

A fever is the result of a common cold or chiU. Drugs do 
no good whatever in such cases, and good nursing is all that 
is needed. The fever-patient needs a comparatively cool room, 
and plenty of drinks : but perspiration should be produced 
first, and the greatest danger is over ; and, to this end, nothing 
is so good as a rum-sweat taken in bed : see the article relat- 
ing to this. Next the bowels must be evacuated, and kept 
regular every day, as a fever dries the contents of the intes- 
tines, and causes pain and nervousness. A rubber syringe, 
and warm suds made with common bar-soap, are best to effect 
this ; and, if there is not a discharge each day, an injection 
should be given each night before dark. Some persons prefer 
to take castor-oil ; and two large spoons of it is considered a 
dose for a man ; half that for a child : but the child would 
prefer the injection. Castor-oil is best taken in lemonade ; 
and this is excellent for fevers. 

Those sick with fevers usually suffer much from thirst, and 
continually want cold water : this is bad for them, as it pro- 
longs the fever ; while warm drinks are a powerful aid in cur- 
ing a fever, and, at the same time, satisfy thirst better than 
cold ones. If the head suffers from pain or heat, never do as 



THE EOMEEEEPER. 207 

some ignorant persons do (place ice or cold water on the head), 
hut wet a cotton cloth in ivarm water ; and it relieves the head 
as soon as applied : renew it often. If the feet are cold, place 
a stone jug, tightly corked, of hot water as far helow the feet 
as may he ; and this warms the hed sufficiently. 

Those having the care of the sick never should dispute with 
them, but indulge them in every thing that will not harm 
them : they will recover much sooner for it. The next most 
important thing is food. They should have soups made of 
lean meat or poultry, with beans, dried peas, or rice cooked in 
them ; and hardly any thing which they want, if well cooked, 
would injure them. Sick persons usually know very decidedly 
what they want to eat ; and it seldom hurts them. Many 
suffer more for want of sufficient, proper food, when sick, than 
for any thing else ; and their recovery is delayed by it. Why 
feed the sick on drugs and liquors when food is all they want 
and need ? 

Scarlet-fever is attended with a flushed face and a sore 
throat. In some cases it is very light, and in others severe. 
The foregoing treatment will cure' it ; but if perspiration is 
suddenly checked, causing a chill, another rum-sweat must 
be given. 

Typhoid-fever is dreaded by some, but may be had very 
lightly. It commences usually with a headache and diarrhoea, 
which last several days ; and, after recovery, the person is liable 
to bloat, giving a fleshy appearance. In severe cases, the hair 
falls off. 

Workmen in New Orleans, with yellow-fever all around 
them, escaped it when surrounded with the fumes of burning 
tar. Children should be kept quiet in fevers, and not be 
talked to. It is difficult to ascertain what ails them, and dif- 
ficult to manage them. Pennyroyal-tea is good for them, and 
produces perspiration ; but care must be used that they do not 
get uncovered and chilled, as this alone might cause death. 
When away from home in summer (all children are better at 
home in winter) where there are no conveniences for sickness, 
a child with a slight fever may be wrapped in blankets till it 



208 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

perspires ; also wrap the feet in flannel wrung out of hot water, 
with dry flannel over that. Give sage-tea; an injection, if 
necessary ; and, if the child wants huckleberries, it will not be 
injured in the least hy them. E,ipe fruit is more easily 
digested than bread, and is a great benefit in most kinds of 
disease ; but those sorts protected with a skin should be peeled. 
Currants and gooseberries would do harm ; but other berries, 
together with ripe oranges, peaches, grapes, melons, and, above 
all, tomatoes, are a great help to recovery from fevers. Even 
raw apples, if ripe and peeled, do no harm. 

FITS. 
These are usually caused in children under two and a half 

years by teething. For directions, see " Teething." Some- 
times children swallow cherry-stones, causing fits ; and, if not 
relieved by vomiting and purging, they soon die. 

There is said to be another cause of fits in children ; and 
this is poisoned candy. "Dr. Gifford of Gloucester, Mass., 
reports in ' The Boston Medical and Surgical Journal ' the case 
of a child, three years old, to whom he was called two hours 
after the child had eaten seven worm-lozenges, and whom he 
found in spasms involving every muscle, speechless, and motion- 
less except in a spasmodic way, the body hot, and bathed in 
perspiration. The child was saved after considerable effort ; 
and an analysis of one of the lozenges such as the child had 
taken showed the presence of strychnia, the most deadly of 
poisons." 

It is not safe for children to eat candy or lozenges. Another 
child, of the same age, was similarly affected after eating a 
stick and a half of white candy; and there was no other appar- 
ent cause for the convulsion. He was saved by emetics and 
cathartics, but did not regain his former health for several 
weeks. I have known a healthy child to fall asleep before his 
usual bedtime after eating common lozenges, and could not be 
waked at all for twelve hours, but appeared as one half-dead. 

Adult persons having fits are sometimes cured of them. 
Strict attention should be given to diet, and the extremities 



TEE HOMEKEEPER. 209 

watched and kept warm, as it is necessary that a healthy cir- 
culation of the blood should be kept up. Only two meals a 
day ought to be allowed, and no stimulants whatever. 

FROZEN. 
It is said that castor-oil on cotton has restored frost-bitten 
limbs where amputation was thought to be necessary. It 
should be rubbed on the face and ears when chilled. No frozen 
or chilled flesh should have any thing warm near it ; but it 
should be rubbed with snow, or bathed in cold water. It is 
said that persons when near freezing are inclined to sleep, but 
should keep awake at all events, or death will follow sleep. 

GOUT. 

Perhaps the custom of changing boots for slippers at night 
is one cause of gout, especially where only an open fire is used. 

HAIR. 

The hair is best preserved by preserving the health of the 
whole body. Bathing has a good effect on it ; and the head 
should be wet when the body is. Cold water is not injurious to 
the hair; although many are afraid to use it, and, instead, plas- 
ter up the pores of the head with animal grease under various 
high-sounding names, to the certain injury of the hair. Many 
persons, too, suppose a fine comb injures the head ; but it does 
not : the impurities can be removed in no other way ; and these, 
if remaining, do injure it by filling up the pores. Cleanness 
and daily combing are all that is needed to preserve the hair. 

The time of life in which hair turns gray depends very much 
on the vitality of the person, and family to which that person be- 
longs. The younger members of a family usually become gray 
sooner than the older ones. Some turn gray very young ; and 
such persons usually belong to short-lived or feeble families, 
unless there is some other cause for it. Severe sorrow or 
fright causes the hair to turn. Sometimes a period of sickness 
or sorrow will cause the hair to begin to turn ; and if the sorrow 
is abated, or lessened by time, the hair will remain for years in 
that state without becoming any nearer white in the mass. 

14 



210 THE EOMEKEEPER. 

A lady living in New Hampshire, seventy-four years of age, 
Las brown hair all over lier head, excepting a few spires near 
her ears. She is as vigorous in mind as in body, and belongs 
to a healthy, long-lived family. 

No hair-dyes are fit to use on the hair, as all contain lead or 
other ingredients which injure the head. If the hair becomes 
gray or white, it is best to wear it so, — "a crown of glory." 
Children are most comfortable in summer with short hair, and 
do not appreciate curls as much as do their mothers, especially 
when combing-time comes. We should do what is most con- 
ducive to their health, and not torture them to gratify our 
pride. 

Infants' heads are usually covered with dust and dandruff 
if not often removed ; and some, in trying to remove it, make 
the head sore. It is easily removed without hurting the child 
if the head is first rubbed with sweet-oil ; use a fine comb, 
wash, and wipe the head dry. 

A simple style of dressing the hair shows a more correct 
taste than following every dangerous fashion that comes along. 
When vanity prompts a woman to fasten her head-dress or 
hair on by sticking long pins through it into her head, it has 
gone a little too far. One man expressed the opinion that 
women were not fit to vote because they did not know how "to 
do up their hair. He was not far from right. Wide braids 
always appear well, and may be fastened so as not to injure 
the head if one has much hair. If there is only little, it shows 
to better advantage if curled naturally. But no woman should 
be seen with long hair hanging loosely down her back : this is 
decidedly out of taste. The huge wool-cushions so long worn 
were an injury to the hair and the head, by pulling the hair 
out where fastened, and by heating the head too much, to say 
nothing of the dangerous insects concealed in them, which ate 
their way through the skull into the brain, causing death after 
much sufi'ering. Let us hope this fashion of wearing the hair 
never will return. When bonnets were worn to slip back from 
the head continually, they caused much baldness among wo- 
men ; and this led to the wearing of hats and wool-cusbions. 



k 



THE nOMEKEEPER. ~ 211 

Fastening the hair by a string near the roots injures the head 
by the strain on it, and causes baldness. 

HANG-NAILS. 
These are caused by the growth of the finger-nails and the 
tightness of the cuticle attaching to them. It should be 
loosened frequently with a small knife. 

HEADACHE. 

This is sometimes caused by too much blood flowing to the 

head. It should be drawn down by soaking the feet in warm 

water, and using mustard on thera too if necessary ; or put a 

little mustard in the water, and then keep the feet warm. A 

cotton or linen cloth wrung out of warm water, and laid on the 

head, always relieves it. The bowels should be kept in a 

healthy condition. 

HEAET-DISEASE. 

This is usually caused by violent exertion or overwork, either 
when too young for hard work, or working beyond one's strength. 
E,unning up stairs often is sufficient to produce it, and never 
should be done. Stairs waste more of a person's strength than 
is generally believed till strength is gone. No medicine will 
reach this disease ; but rest, and care to avoid excitement and 
undue exertion, may, if not long seated. No stimulant, such 
as coffee, tea, or liquors, should be allowed. Dizziness some- 
times accompanies this disease, and great care is necessary to 

preserve quiet. 

HYDROPHOBIA. 

" A girl thirteen years of age, the daughter of an innkeeper 
in France, died from hydrophobia after three days of dreadful 
sufferings. She had never been bitten by a dog, but had often 
played with one belonging to her father, which was killed in a 
rabid state. As she sometimes allowed the animal to lick her 
face at a time when she had a small sore on her lip, the virus 
is supposed to have been communicated to her in that manner." 
Not a very safe 'playmate for a child. 

A man recently died of this disease ; and here is the account 
of it : " For about a week from the first attack he was moder- 



212 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

ately sick, and it was thought that he was suffering from par- 
tial paralysis of the muscles of the face : but the affection 
toward the last rapidly grew worse ; and, for a few hours before 
his death, the paroxysms were extremely violent. He was bit- 
ten in the face by a dog about twenty years ago." 

" Bromide of potassa " is said to be a cure for this disease ; 
and " crystal of the nitrate of silver, rubbed into the wound," 
it is said, will prevent it. 

Here is one more newspaper extract. Dr. Sumpter writes 
to " Public Opinion " as follows : " Without infringing any 
rule of professional etiquette, I think it right to call attention 
to the very obvious error committed by most people suffering 
from the bite of a dog, whether proved to be rabid or not, after 
examining the wound, of directly replacing upon the part or 
parts bitten the very same garment or covering through which 
the may-be envenomed fangs have passed, thus supplying the 
very conditions necessary to the local absorption of most poi- 
sons, — i.e., an abraded cuticular surface, and an opposed virus ; 
for it maybe taken for granted, that, when the rabid dog's tooth 
passes through clothing before reaching flesh, more of the virus 
of hydrophobia is in the covering than in the wound. I call 
public attention to this ; for I believe the only measures of any 
use are directly after the bite, — first to remove the poison by 
local suction, or by cupping-glass and excision ; secondly, to 
improve general health, and thus predispose against any after 
iU effects." 

I once read of a Erenchman who was taken with hydropho- 
bia, and who commenced dancing : he kept it up a long time, 
producing such a perspiration that his life was saved. 

It is difficult to see that dogs are of any great use, as they do 
quite as much harm as good : children, especially boys, will not 
let them alone, and often get bitten in return. Burglars care 
nothing about them ; and sheep-raising is of very little profit to 
what it should be, as so many sheep and lambs are killed by 
dogs. 

INSANITY. 

Some of the causes of insanity are over-work and unkind- 



THE HOMEEEEPETt. 213 

ness, loss of property or of dear friends, old age and decay, 
the marriage of near relatives, cold bathing while heated, 
fright, drinking stimulants, remorse, religious fears, and self- 
abuse. 

Many persons, especially women, have a dread of insane 
asylums, and would prefer death to imprisonment in one of 
them ; but it is not for any of us to choose death, and the next 
best thing should be done. There is great opportunity for abuse 
in such asylums, which are necessarily prisons ; but, when per- 
sons become so violent that they cannot be taken care of any- 
where else, they are better to be sent there. 

It is not an unheard-of thing now for healthy wives to be 
sent to such asylums by husbands who are tired of them, and 
who only need the certificate of any man called physician to 
send them there ; and any male who chooses can be a phy- 
sician. ' 

In curing the insane, the rules regulating general health 
should be followed; and the next most important duty is to 
treat them with kindness ; although firmness is at the same time 
necessary, as in governing children : but no opposition should 
be shown to them unless violent. Insanity which takes the 
form of melancholy is hardest to cure. 

Insanity arising from old age is a decay of the senses ; and 
such persons are not usually violent, but need constant watch- 
ing to keep them out of danger. Marriage is considered by the 
best physicians as the only cure for insanity caused by self- 
abuse. Music such as is worthy the name is a great help in 
curing or preventing insanity ; so, too, is true religion, but not 
the spurious article which works only on fear. 

IVY-POISON. 
American ivy is poisonous to the touch, and causes a redness 
and itching in spots or small stripes over the entire person, in- 
cluding the face. Bathe once or twice a day in warm water, 
adding a cup of coarse salt to each quart of water; and, after 
drying with towels, apply sweet cream to the affected parts : 
this is all that is necessary to a cure. 



214 THE HOMEEEEPER. 

LIGHTNING. 

There is little safety anywhere from lightning, as it has been 
known to play the strangest freaks, and strike persons who 
were considered to be in the safest places. Persons under 
trees are usually struck ; and a tall tree overhanging a house is 
a better protector than the most approved lightning-rod. One 
such, a fine elm, has been struck many times, while the house 
under its shadow never has been once. 

It is said that lightning-rods are of no use unless ending in 
moist earth, and it is recommended to water them twice a week 
in dry weather. If so, the trouble is more than they are 
worth. 

Persons are struck sometimes while using a needle, which 
is supposed to draw the lightning : on the other hand, feather- 
beds are not always safe places, as persons on them have been 
struck. 

LINEN. 

Lint should be scraped, or, which is better, pulled (by ravel- 
ling old linen into threads), and saved ready for accidents : 
also all old white linen should be washed, ironed, and laid 
away with it ; old linen being much better for a dressing to 
wounds and sores than cotton cloth, 

MEASLES. 
This disease causes a person to feel very uncomfortable and 
sick till it breaks out. It is attended with a disagreeable 
odor ; but good nursing is all that is needed, and care not to 
get chilled. Warm drinks are better than cold. It should 
not last over a week ; and the eyes should not be used much 
for a week or more after that. 

MILK-LEG. 
This is caused, after birth, by a cold or chill. Keep bags of 
hops which have been steeped in water or cider-vinegar on 
the limb or limbs affected till no longer necessary, and rub 
the limbs when the hops are changed for hot ones, which 
should be as often as they become cool. 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 215 

MUMPS. 
This disease is not painful nor dangerous unless a chill is 
taken : great care is necessary to avoid this, and also to avoid 
using the eyes too much. It lasts ahout a week ; and, the more 
the face swells, the less is the danger. 

NEEVOUSNESS. 
This is occasioned by general ill health, which attention to 
rules for general health would cure. 

NEUKALGIA. 
This somewhat resembles rheumatism in being painful, and, 
like that, is the result of a chill. Applications of hot hops 
steeped in water or cider-vinegar ease the pain : so does a 
rum-sweat. The latter, if followed up, will cure it. 

NIGHT-COUGH. 

Give plenty of quince-jelly made as directed in preserves, 
and keep the feet warm ; also the air pure in the room. There 
is so much of a gummy substance in the cores of quinces, that 
it makes the best part of the jelly, and is the best thing for 
a cough. 

NOSE-BLEED. 

A slight bleeding of the nose is beneficial, and relieves the 
head, but, if long continued, would cause death : it should 
be checked by drawing the blood down to the feet ; and, to do 
this, put them into a tub of warm water till the blood ceases 
to overflow. 

OIL. 

Vegetable is preferable to animal oil in all uses about the 
person. There is little if any olive-oil in this country ; and 
that which is sold under the name is made from Western swine, 
or is pressed out of the seeds of the cotton-plant. Castor-oil is 
not easily imitated, and is better for burns than any other, as 
its thickness excludes the air better. Palm-oil is good for 
making salve. " A child was fatally poisoned by taking oil 
of cedar used as a liniment." 



216 THE HOMEKEEPER, 

OPIUM. 
Opium is too extensively used at present, and produces a 
sort of intoxication. A long use of it shatters the constitution, 
and tortures the eater, till, in some cases, suicide is resorted 
to as the only relief from the load of suffering. Opium-eat- 
ing becomes a disease, which should be intrusted only to the 
most careful and skilful physician. 

OVERWORK. 

No person can enjoy health who does not exercise daily ; 
and, to this end, much time and strength are wasted by some 
who will do almost a,ny thing but work to obtain it. Young 
women will take any kind and amount of exercise if it is not 
housework ; and yet this is the best kind as yet discovered to 
insure health to women. It exercises all parts of the body, 
and injures none if each would do her part : but there are 
such j)ersons in the world as weary, overworked mothers ; and 
they, if they have daughters, should show them where can be 
found plenty of the best exercise. No person lives who does 
not make work ; but a great many live who do not do their 
share of work. No person who lives has a moral right to live 
in idleness, unless disabled in some manner ; and it is because 
such a multitude do live so that the workers are overworked, 
literally wearing out while the others rust out. 

Ruskin, who is called " the eccentric," and who has reason 
to be proud of the appellation, says of working and thinking, 
" We are always, in these days, trying to separate the two : we 
want one man to be always thinking, and another to be al- 
ways working ; and we call one a gentleman, and the other an 
operative : whereas the workman ought often to be thinking, 
and the thinker often to be working ; and both should be 
gentlemen in the best sense. As it is, we make both ungentle, 
— the one envying, the other despising, his brother ; and the 
mass of society is made up of morbid thinkers and miserable 
workers." 

But, while even the morbid thinkers may do some good, 
what can be said in praise of the class of gay butterflies whose 



THE HOMEEEEPEE. 217 

boast it is, that, while they have no occupation in this world, 
they are exceedingly busy doing nothing ? Married women, at 
the present day, are overworked for want of help, and are dy- 
ing by inches of this alone. Not the favored few, but the 
struggling many, are here meant. If it be true, as one man 
asserted, that pianos have made butter scarce and dear, still 
more have they affected the hard-working mother of a family. 
The daughters of the poorest in many towns, with a few noble 
exceptions, will not soil their white hands by helping their 
mother do the housework. But housework need not soil the 
hands, as a finger-brush will remove all stains ; vand the soul 
will be all the whiter for duty done. 

Mothers of large or even of small families need the in- 
fluence of church-meeting on the sabbath, more than other 
persons, to calm their nerves, and elevate them above their 
petty cares and anxieties ; but fashionable churches, as gen- 
erally regulated, tend to aggravate nervousness. Pure air is 
wholly excluded by closed windows both in summer and 
winter, and nothing breathed but the impure air sent from 
several hundred lungs. The light through closed blinds and 
painted or ground glass is " more dim than religious ; " and 
the services, of which the congregation are only spectators, 
slightly operatic in tendency. 

PIMPLES. 
Pimples on the face and neck are caused by bathing these 
parts oftener than the other parts of the body ; and the pores 
which are liberated have all the work to do of expelling im- 
purities from the whole body. Bathing, and attention to 
diet, will cure them ; bwt no other outward application ever 
will. 

PLASTER. 

A mustard-plaster is too powerful if made alone ; but meal 
or flour should be mixed with molasses, and the ground mus- 
tard sprinkled over it : a clean, fine muslin should be spread 
over the mustard before applying the plaster. 



218 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

POISON. 

Many poisonous ingredients are put into food and drink 
whicli are made to sell. It is not safe to use cooking-powders 
or prepared flour ; and much of the food made to sell is unsafe 
to eat. Eamilies have been poisoned from eating cheese, 
canned pie-plant, flour ground in a mill where the stones had 
been mended with lead, colored pop-Corn, candy, and other 
things. Prussic acid, although a poison, is put into cigars. 
Unwashed wool, if in contact with a sore, introduces poison 
into the system. The damper of a coal-stove should not be 
shut when a fire is burning, nor should the door be opened, 
as either will send the coal-gas into the room ; and this is 
poison to breathe. Tobacco poisons those unaccustomed to 
the use of it. Some green wall-paper poisons those who sleep 
in the room with it ; and any other color in clothing is better 
than green. " A child in Ohio died from the effects of Paris 
green taken from a railroad conductor's check which she held 
in her mouth." Bed-bug and rat poisons never should be kept 
or used in a bouse, as there is no necessity for them ; and 
many persons have been poisoned by them through mistake. 
Numerous mistakes have been made in selling drugs, and 
persons poisoned in consequence. 

Fly-paper never should be allowed to be sold or used. It is 
made by spreading arsenic on paper. A woman is said to have 
died from the effects of poison received by a fly alighting on 
ber nose, where was a slight scratch. The fly had previously 
been on some patent fly-paper. 

Spirits of turpentine is said to be a remedy for phosphorus 
taken from matches ; but matches ought to kept out of the 
reach of children. 

Dr. Hall writes, " If any poison is swallowed, drink instantly 
half a glass of cold water, with a heaping teaspoonful each of 
common salt and ground mustard stirred into it. This vomits 
as soon as it reaches the stomach : but, for fear some of the 
poison may remain, swallow the white of one or two raw eggs, 
or drink a cup of strong coffee, these two articles being anti- 
dotes for a greater number of poisons than any dozen other 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 219 

articles known, with, the advantage of their always being at 
hand; if not, a pint of sweet-oil or lamp-oil (probably kero- 
sene is not meant), or lard, are good substances, especially if 
they vomit quickly." 

RHEUMATISM. 

This appears to be caused by cold and dampness together, 
producing a chill in the person. The acute rheumatism some- 
times lasts only six weeks, it is said. 

"K J. Butler, L.C.P.L., writes to 'The Medical Press and 
Circular' that he has tested with most gratifying results the 
efficacy of valerian, in the form of a bath, in arresting the 
most violent attacks of acute rheumatism. The bath is made 
by gently boiling one pound of valerian-root for a quarter of 
an hour in one gallon of water, straining, and adding the 
strained liquid to about twenty gallons of water in an ordinary 
bath-tub. The temperature should be about ninety-eight de- 
grees, and the time of immersion about twenty minutes to half 
an hour. After coming out of the bath, the patient should be 
rubbed till completely dry. If the inflammation continue in 
any of the joints, apply poultices made of linseed-meal wet 
up with a strong decoction of valerian-root." 

Chronic rheumatism is not so easily got rid of, as the most 
severe cases seem to baffle the skill of physicians ; but the 
world moves, and even this may find a cure some day. Any 
thing cold adds to the pain ; while hops or burdocks steeped in 
vinegar or water, and applied hot, relieve it, and promote sleep. 
Damp rooms and houses should be avoided, and clean clothing 
should not have a particle of dampness in it when put on. The 
extremities shoiild be kept warm, and sunlight freely admitted. 
Flannel should be worn on the body both summer and winter. 
A rum-sweat, if used in season, would be beneficial 

RUM-SWEAT. 
Most diseases are produced by first taking cold. The per- 
spiration is checked, and becomes an inward poison, affecting 
the Aveakest part; and nothing will better or sooner restore 
perspiration, and with it health, than this simple remedy, — 



220 TEE HOMEKEEPER. 

so simple, that it may be despised without a thought of its 
efficacy. If the patient is able to sit up, a chair with a 
wooden seat should be used to prevent burning. Wrap several 
blankets entirely around patient and chair, leaving nothing 
out but the head ; light a small piece of cotton cloth, and 
throw into a saucer of rum, and, if the rum is too weak to 
burn, use alcohol with a little water in it; place the saucer 
under the chair, and fill up with rum as often as it burns out, 
till the patient's face is covered in perspiration. Do not un- 
cover, but help the patient into' bed wrapped in the blankets. 
If perspiration is too profuse, remove one blanket at a time, 
but leave enough on to cause a slight perspiration to be seen 
on the upper lip all night. Towards morning, it will do to 
cool off ; and a towel-bath should be used then, and the cloth- 
ing changed for that which is hot and dr3^ 

Persons unable to sit up should receive this treatment on a 
cot-bed, and children in a crib, with the covering placed so 
that the vapor cannot escape, but pass freely around the per- 
son ; but children must be watched all night, or they get un- 
covered, and make a bad matter worse. It is easier to soak 
the feet in water, and does them nearly as much good, as it is 
almost impossible to keep them covered. 

This remedy should be tried for a cold, cholera, croup, con- 
tracted cords, drowning, diphtheria, fever, hydrophobia and 
other bites, neuralgia, poison, rheumatism, scrofula, and sore 

throat. 

SALT-RHEUM. 

This is a scrofulous disease ; and the remedy should be inter- 
nal, instead of plastering up the exterior. General rules for 
health should be followed, and plenty of fruit and vegetables 

eaten. 

SALVE. 

Salve never should be made of animal fat, as it is bad enough 
to eat it ; but to apply it to a wound might make it worse in- 
stead of better. Melt together one large, even spoon of palm- 
oil and one small cake of white beeswax. A better salve for 
small cuts and cracks is made by melting together the same 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 221 

amount of pure yellow wax to one even spoon of palm-oil, and 
to three spoons of the oil add one teaspoon of pulverized 
gum-camphor. 

SCROFULA 

Scrofulous diseases are said by some to be caused mostly by 
breathing impure air, especially in sleeping-rooms. The chil- 
dren of drunkards and of " moderate drinkers " are often 
afflicted with such diseases. Bathing and exercise should be 
attended to. Outward applications of remedies do no good. 

SCURVY. 

It is said that seamen who would avoid the scurvy should 
not eat salted meats. Fresh animal and vegetable food, ripe 
fruits, open air, exercise, bathing, and a half-pint of lemon- 
juice a day, are said to be the best remedy for this disease. 

SLEEP. 

A proper amount of sleep is necessary to health ; and some 
require more than others. It is said that those who have the 
most active brains are the ones who need most sleep ; but they 
are not always the ones who take it, and so they break down 
prematurely. It is a good sign for the sick to sleep naturally, 
and they never should be waked to give them medicines. If 
they are troubled by wakefulness when they need sleep, it is 
better to rub and knead their flesh for them than to give drugs 
to cause sleep. Dr. Lewis recommends percussing the person 
with the hands : this gives a feeling of rest, and promotes 
sleep. 

Windows should always be wide open in summer both for 
the sick and well, unless it rains ; and one in a room in winter. 
The door into an entry or other room should be open for the 
sick ; but no draft of air should cross the bed either of the sick 
or well. A feather-bed will not be likely to injure any one in 
winter in our climate ; and, for summer, a mattress over springs 
or sacking is most.comfortable. 

No jieat woman will make her beds up as soon as vacated, 
but will allow a half-day, at least, for them to air. This prac- 



222 THE EOMEKEEPER. 

tice has mucli to do with sleep ; for a foul bed is not pleasant 
to rest in. One can sleep better on an empty than full stom- 
ach; and those who eat nothing after an early dinner, and 
have no other disturbing cause, have no difficulty in going to 
sleep. Those who cannot sleep, but at the same time are able 
to walk, should take a long walk before retiring at night. 

SMALL-POX. 
" Dr. Miller of Kentucky has lately been treating small-pox 
patients with a milk-diet almost exclusively, bathing their 
faces and skin with cream, — all with the best results. None 
of his patients have any marks to show that they have had 
the disease." All clothing and bedding used should be burned. 

SORE MOUTH. 

Many articles which are used in the preparation of food are 
injurious, and cause a sore mouth. Among them are potash 
used in hulling corn, saleratus, cream of tartar, flavoring- 
extracts, acids used by bakers and others in bread, cake, and 
cookies, and some other things. Some drugs cause a sore 
mouth. Young nursing-infants sometimes have a sore mouth. 
It should be swabbed with cold water, and some should also be 
given them in a spoon to drink. The nipple should also be 
washed, before and after nursing, in warm water or suds, and 
then oiled or salved. 

" As the result of the recent investigations by Dr. Thorne 
of England, the conclusion is reached, that the free use of the 
milk ,of cows suffering from the foot and mouth disease tends 
to produce a similar disease in man." 

SORE THROAT. 
This is often the result of a cold. Use the rum-sweat, or 
apply hot poultices to the part affected. 

SPINAL DISEASE. 
Many cases of this disease, at present, are caused by the 
injurious custom of wearing small, high heels, and gojng up 
stairs too often. It is better to lie down, or stand, than to sit 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 223 

in a bent posture ; and rubbing the whole length of the spine 
will benefit it ; but the high heels must be abandoned, and the 
clothing worn loose, and suspended over the shoulders. Corsets, 
and bundles worn on the back, injure the spine. 

SPRAINS. 
Bathe in warm water, rub often, keep quiet, and use spirits 
of camphor occasionally when rubbing. Apply a poultice of 
hops steeped in vinegar or water, or a cornmeal-poultice with 
a teaspoon of laudanum on it, if painful. 

STERILITY. 

When the spare corners of newspapers are not filled up with 
short sermons on the extravagance of women, by way of variety 
the sin of women in "diminishing the population" is the text. 
That such is the common practice has not been, and cannot 
be, proved. If a woman does not furnish as large a share of 
population as did her mythical grandmother, of course it is set 
down as her fault. 

Dr. Culverwell says, "Within my own experience, I am sat- 
isfied that the greater cause of sterility is with the men than 
the women." And again he says, " I consider the non-produc- 
tion of offspring to rest more upon the generative debility of 
the male than the female." This is quite as good authority 
as some who take upon themselves the task of judging women 
without a jury. 

STINGS. 

Bees should not be kept too near a dwelling-house, as they 
sometimes swarm on persons. They will not sting in this case, 
unless disturbed. A hive should be brought by another per- 
son ; and, if they do not enter it, cold water should be thrown 
in abundance over the person covered with them. The water 
prevents their using the sting ; but if, on the contrary, they 
are brushed off, they sting the person to death. Sometimes 
the sting is left in the wound, and must be drawn out. Salt 
is a good remedy for common stings ; but spirits of camphor is 
better. 



224 THE HOMEEEEPER. 

"A cMld in Columbus, Ind., was stung by a locust on the 
leg and arm. Inflammation and swelling immediately fol- 
lowed, and prompt medical aid alone saved tbe cbild. A locust- 
egg was extracted from each of the wounds. The limbs were 
corded, and covered with fresh mud immediately." 

SUN-STROKE. 
Persons suffering from sun-stroke never should have a drop 
of cold water applied to them outwardly, as it is almost certain 
death to them. Put them, as soon as possible, into a warm 
bath, keeping the head also wet with warm water. Some put 
vinegar and warm water on the head, and give a dose of castor- 
oil. It is best to send for a physician immediately. 

TEETH. 

When one tooth aches, it seems sometimes as if all ached ; 
but there is no need of having any out, unless decayed too 
much to be filled. First-class dentists, not being in excess of 
the demand for them, ask very high prices for filling teeth, and 
use nothing but gold, which is the only thing fit to be used. 
Cement only hastens the decay of the teeth ; and a tooth that 
is worth filling at all is worth filling with gold. If the nerve 
be killed, it causes the tooth to turn dark or black ; but the 
best dentists now take out the nerve, and fill the whole nerve- 
cavity with gold, as well as the cavity in the tooth : this makes 
a tooth which will probably last years, and never be painful 
again, nor be likely to turn dark. Some cheap dentists will 
fill a tooth in fifteen minutes with cement ; and it lasts nearly 
as long; for sometimes the cement causes severe pain before 
the person reaches home,- and, of course, it must be taken out. 
They make about as much money by ruining teeth as the first- 
class dentists do who are honest, but whose prices seem large 
to those who do not know the difference between honest men 
and some others. 

Creosote destroys pain in teeth, but is poisonous when taken 
into the stomach ; and it should be kept out of the reach of 
children. A little laudanum on cotton eases pain ; but this, too. 



THE HOMEEEEPER. 225 

should be kept locked up from children. As soon as an hon- 
est dentist can be reached, he will know what is best to be 
done to an aching tooth. But teeth should be filled before 
they are decayed sufficiently to ache. Sometimes the gum 
from which a tooth has been drawn is very sore for several 
days : oil on a piece of linen cloth will cause it to heal sooner 
than without it. 

False teeth are nothing but a discomfort to the wearer ; and 
it is wiser to preserve the natural teeth as long as possible, 
even if it costs more than false teeth would, which is doubtful ; 
for false teeth wear out and get broken. The cheap sets are 
moulded teeth, and do not appear natural; while the carved 
ones do appear natural, being each carved by hand. The cost 
is much greater ; but the teeth are better, and last longer. 

If the teeth of young persons crowd too much, or lap over, 
it is sometimes best to have one taken out, as crowding often 
causes pain, or pressure which is almost as hard to bear ; and, 
in some cases, the remaining teeth will spread, and fill this 
cavity. Teeth that overlap cannot be straightened without 
injury ; and it is no improvement to a person's appearance to 
have it done, as it helps to destroy individuality. 

Many articles sold to clean teeth contain acid that com- 
pletely destroys the teeth. Some dentists use such acid. 
Charcoal, salt, chalk, and Peruvian bark are considered harm- 
less for the teeth. Pumice-stone, pounded fine and sifted 
through muslin, is used to remove stains, but should not be 
used often. Beware of all tooth powders and washes made to 
sell, as most, if not all, are injurious to the teeth. 

Tartar accumulates on teeth, and is destructive to them, as 
it prevents the gum from growing closely around them, and in 
time the teeth may be pulled out with the fingers. This tar- 
tar should be removed as often as it accumulates. Teeth never 
should be used to bite threads ofP, as this wears notches in 
them ; neither should finger-nails be bitten, nor any other 
hard substance. 

I once heard of a young girl, who, while at play with her 
brother, had all her upper front-teeth knocked out. Her little 
15 



226 ■ THE HOMEKEEPER. 

brother, being quite frightened, picked them up, and put them 
in a box. A physician was called. He replaced the teeth : 
she lay quiet in bed two weeks, fed on gruel mostly ; and, at 
the end of that time, her teeth were firm in their former 
places. 

Sometimes, after teeth are extracted, bleeding is profuse ; 
and, if cold water mixed with spirits of camphor will not stop 
it, a linen cloth wet in alum-water, and pressed in, is recom- 
mended. When children have all their first set of teeth, it is 
best to clean them daily till they are old enough to do it for 
themselves. Dentists say that the value of the second set of 
teeth depends very much upon the preservation of the first set 
their natural time. They should be taught the value of their 
teeth, and not be allowed to bite nuts nor threads. If there is 
any great defect in the growing of the teeth, a good dentist 
should be consulted. A frequent inspection is recommended. 

TEETHING. 
Infants apparently suffer much pain, at times, during the 
period of teething, which usually lasts from six to thirty 
months of age, more or less ; although some children get 
nearly all their first teeth at eighteen months. Their sleep, at- 
times, is broken and troubled ; they frequently wake crying, 
and start suddenly, having very short naps. The little sufferer 
should be soothed and tended till the pain is over. Care is 
much better than " soothing syrups." In summer, teething 
is usually accompanied by a diarrhoea ; and this should not be 
checked suddenly, as it would cause the child's death. Drugs 
do no good at all, and should not be used. It is better for the 
child to continue somewhat loose. The best remedy is a free 
use, at the child's eating-times, of ripe fruit and berries ; but 
the fruit should always be peeled first. Sour currants and 
gooseberries are not good for them ; but ripe huckleberries and 
blackberries are highly beneficial. Boiled milk checks a 
bowel-disease somewhat, and should be given only milk-warm ; 
or add water and sugar, making a kind of milk-tea of it. A 
child should eat all the white sugar wanted. Some children 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 227 

like raw eggs beaten np with sugar : this is also good for this 
disease. Make a custard, same as are usually baked in cups, 
and let the child eat as much as desired of it without cooking 
it : this alone has checked sufficiently a diarrhoea of long 
standing. Riding is very beneficial ; but jolting children in 
little carriages over stones does them more harm than good. 
Children have died from no other apparent cause. 

Many children have fits, in consequence of pain and sick- 
ness during the teething-period. Their intellect is not sup- 
posed to suffer from this cause, as they usually have enough 
left. Medicine will do no good in such cases. Get ready a 
tub of ivarm water as soon as possible ; but do not be in such 
a fright or hurry as to scald the child. Have the water what 
is called milk-warm ; undress the child, and put it into the 
water, rubbing it gently all the time til] the fit is over ; then 
wipe very dry, and dress warm. If the hands and feet are 
watched and kept warm, fits may be prevented, as they are 
preceded by cold extremities. Rub the hands, and get the 
blood to circulating freely, and immerse the feet in warm 
water. If the feet are cold during sleep, put a bottle of warm 
water near them, having taken off the shoes. Much may be 
done to prevent them by careful watching. 

In winter, teething difficulties assume a different appear- 
ance : the bowels evacuate too seldom. A rubber syringe, 
with a little warm suds, is all that is needed to keep them in 
good condition. Use every day if needed : it is perfectly harm- 
less. When children do not have fits during teething, they 
usually have days of sickness, and seem feverish. Great care 
is necessary in preparing their food at such times ; but the 
child wants only little, and gets well much sooner if fed wholly 
from the breast. Cold water is wanted often ; and young in- 
fants of five or six months will sometimes drink half a glass 
at a time with apparent satisfaction. A teaspoon of sugar to a 
glass of water makes a good drink, and is needed, as it tends 
to produce perspiration. 

The child should be dressed warm enough, but not loaded 
with flannel, in summer. It should have all the undisturbed 



2^ THE HOMEKEEPER. 

sleep which is possible without drugs ; and, when awake, it 
should be kept in a sitting or reclining posture, but not in a 
standing one at all during sickness. Children cry, apparently 
suffering much when teeth are coming: soothe them; have 
patience ; be kind to them, and if nothing else will quiet 
them, and they are sick, walk about with them. 

The most angelic children will sometimes strike when suf- 
fering from pain. Be patient with them : they suffer much. 
The too-frequent custom among young mothers of striking 
infants' hands is abominable ; and a woman who does it de- 
serves punishment. The impatience of a nurse makes chil- 
dren worry ; and much are they to be pitied who are left to 
the care of hired servants. If a mother has not patience to 
take care of her own infant, how can she expect a hired person 
to who has no interest in the child ? 

TOBACCO. 

Tobacco is not only " the grave of love," as the French style 
it, but of intellect also. If it be said that a man does well 
who uses it, he might do better without it. No one will pre- 
tend that it promotes health : the most its friends pretend to 
say in its favor is, that it does not harm them ; but, when one's 
appetite is enslaved, the judgment is not quite clear on that 
subject. Others know it does harm those who use it. It 
stupefies the brain, and paralyzes the body. It makes the 
kindest man negligent of his family duties. 

In one of the most healthy towns of Massachusetts lives, 
or did live a few years since, a man who had lost the use of 
every limb — having to be fed and cared for like an infant — 
by the use of tobacco. Others have lost the use of one or 
more limbs, doubtless from the same cause. It is doubtful if 
a man ever learns much, if any thing, after commencing its 
use ; for it is a destroyer of thought. The foremost men in 
every good work that blesses the world are not slaves to this 
ignoble master. The best physicians, dentists, and preachers 
do not use it. It destroys the conscience. As weU might the 
preacher preach to bare walls as to a company of tobacco- 
eaters with their consciences dead and buried. 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 229 

There is another point to be noticed : tobacco-eating may 
not annoy many persons ; but the smoking of it pollutes the 
air that others breathe ; and no person has the right, legal nor 
moral, to do this. It is one cause of the numerous deaths by 
consumption in cities. 

No man who uses tobacco needs a wife : he is just as well 
off without one, as his weed is every thing needed by him. 
And, as if tobacco were not of itself sufficiently soothing and 
stupefying, the poison, prussic acid, is put into cigars to improve 
them. The smoker, like Napoleon previous to Sedan, would 
dream over a volcano. 

It is difficult to make boys believe that there can be any 
harm in smoking when they see so many men constantly 
doing it : the wrecks it has caused are necessarily withdrawn 
from view; and mothers have to wage continual war against 
this vice, if they would save their sons from this practice, 
which appears so gentlemanly to young eyes. Children 
should be induced to sign a pledge against using it as well as 
intoxicating drinks, and have it, on appropriately embellished 
paper, framed, and hung up where they and their friends can 
see it. Some of the effects of smoking on boys are said to be 
disturbed sleep, ulcers in the mouth, palpitation, a disordered 
digestion, slowness of intellect, and, worse than all else, an 
appetite for strong drinks. There is no doubt in any sane 
mind that tobacco is a poison. 

" An infant, seventeen months old, died from the effects of 
swallowing a piece of tobacco given him by another child with 
whom he was playing." 

The preacher who uses tobacco may write very fine sermons ; 
but there is little or no vitality in them to revive saints, or 
convert sinners. Mr. Trask gives this advice to tobacco-users : 
" First make the most of your will. Drop tobacco, and re- 
solve never to use it again in any form. Go to an apothecary, 
and buy ten cents' worth of gentian-root coarsely ground. 
Take as much of it after each- meal, or oftener, as amounts to 
a common quid of 'fine-cut' or 'Cavendish.' Chew it well, 
and swallow all the saliva. Continue this a few weeks, and 



230 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

you will come off conqueror ; then thank Grod, and thank 
us." 

TONICS. 

These do more harm than good to invalids, because the 
person using them supposes that the body is stronger than it 
really is, owing to their stimulating effect ; and the strength 
is overtaxed, thus weakening, rather than strengthening, those 
who use them. 

TOYS. 

When buying toys for children, it is safest to select those 
which have no paint on them, as it is about sure to rub off, and 
get into their mouths. The white rubber rings given to chil- 
dren to bite when the teeth are coming through contain 
poison, and should not be used. A ring made of linen rolled 
up would be better, and could be unrolled and washed when 
soiled. 

TRICHINiE SPIEALIS. 

There is so much diseased pork prepared for market, that 
one knows not when it is safe to eat it. Trichinae are so 
small as to be invisible without a microscope ; and, to insure 
safety, no raw nor half-cooked pork should ever be eaten. 
Many have suffered, and some died, from the effects of eating 
raw ham. It is easy enough to cook pork, as well as every 
thing else, sufficiently ; and much sickness and many deaths 
would thereby be prevented. 

The lean parts of pork are most affected by this insect ; 
and, if it is eaten raw, they " attach themselves, to the 
stomach and bowels ; are carried into the circulation through 
the minute blood-vessels, into which they eat ; produce inflam- 
mation, diarrhoea, vomiting, and other severe symptoms, which 
are sometimes mistaken for indications of typhus-fever. 
Violent purges are the only known remedies against these 
worms ; and these, to be effectual, must be early administered." 

" A Chicago chemist claims to have discovered a remedy for 
trichince spiralis. It is a mixture of carbolic acid and gly- 
cerine ; these ingredients destroying the animalcules taken 
into the system by eating diseased pork." 



' THE nOMEKEEPER. 231 

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure in this 
case. 

UTERINE DISEASE. 

The cause of prolapsus uteri, wrongly named, however, 
from which multitudes suffer, is the prevalent but erroneous 
mode of dress, which pushes that delicate organ out of its place. 
It never would fall if left alone ; but corsets, whalebones, tight 
dresses, and the weight which it has to support, unaided, for 
year after year, are enough to push a rock out of its place : it 
cannot be kept down except by constant pressure for many 
years. 

When women will follow the dictates of common sense, in- 
stead of Paris fashions, this disease will be unknown. It 
shows its presence in the face by a .dark and sunken appear- 
ance under the eyes, and by a general languor about the person.. 
Many remedies have been invented, which only torture, instead 
of relieving, the patient. Heavy trusses, which the body 
has to hold up in addition to all its other burdens, only ag- 
gravate the disease of this organ. 

The mechanical, internal contrivances lately invented are 
also supported around the hips, causing an additional burden, 
and are of no sort of use, but are an injury to the organ in- 
tended to be benefited by them. All but the worst cases can 
be cured in a short time merely by wearing laose clothing, 
every article of Avhich, above the hose, should be suspended 
over the shoulders, as they are perfectly able to bear all the 
weight of clothing which is required to retain the warmth 
of the body in the coldest weather. No drugs nor mechanical 
appliances are needed, or are of any use. Improper dress is 
the only cause, and a sensible dress the only cure. 

VACCINATION. 

A child who has been vaccinated is sick, and should be 
taken care of as such for " a week, being fretful, and needing 
much patience from the mother. Two extracts from news- 
papers of recent date must make up this article : — 

" One of the most remarkable occurrences of the time is 



232 THE HOMEKEEPER. ' 

the attempt whicli is being made in England to depreciate, to 
annihilate, in fact, the long-established and cherished practice 
of vaccinating for the small-pox; and what is most remark- 
able is the fact, that the movement has been inaugurated, and 
is pursued with great persistency, by learned, scientific men, 
and eminent practitioners of medicine. 

"Statistics, as in all innovations and reforms, are brought in 
aid of the new views ; and figures are adduced to prove the 
inutility and inefficiency of vaccination as a preventive of 
that most loathsome disease. It is attempted to be shown 
that there has been no positive or comparative diminution of 
the malady, but an increase, rather, of its prevalence and 
malignity." 

Probably vaccination is the cause of much disease by taking 
it from one person, and conveying it into the blood of an- 
other, especially if the following extract be true, as no doubt 
it is : — 

" Application was made to the Secretary of the Treasury 
by an eminent physician of Boston, Mass., for permission to 
import from France four heifers for the procuring of pure 
vaccine matter therefrom. The treasury department imposes 
some restrictions upon the importation of cattle into the 
United States from Europe, to prevent the introduction of the 
cattle-disease jvhich has heretofore prevailed in various parts 
of Europe : and the reasons assigned in support of the appli- 
cation referred to were, that it is impossible at present, in this 
country, to use in vaccination for small-pox any other than 
a virus which has been transmitted through innume;:able 
human systems ; and that this long-continued humanization 
has, in the opinion of the medical profession, induced a degen- 
eration and enfeebling of the protective power of the virus 
with many of the diseases of the various human organizations 
through which it has passed. It was further stated, that there 
is not now, and never has been, in the United States, a par- 
ticle of cow-pox lymph, direct from the animal, which has not 
passed through one or more human subjects ; and that such an 
animal could only be obtained in France, where, under the 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 2*33 

auspices and direction, and at the expeiase, of the Academie 
de la Medecine, and of the French Government, a case of ori- 
ginal cow-pox, occurring at Beaugency several years ago, has 
been perpetuated by inoculating from one heifer to another 
through a long series ; and, in this way, vaccination, to a very 
great extent, has been afforded to the French people with 
lymph direct from the cow. In view of these statements, the 
secretary promised to afford all proper facilities in his power 
to encourage so desirable an object." 

VOMITING. 
Medicine to produce vomiting should not be given except in 
extreme cases, such as poison or some other injurious sub- 
stance swallowed, which would endanger life if retained. 

WET FEET. 
Colds are productive of many kinds of disease ; and wet or 
cold feet cause more colds than are produced in any other way. 
If the feet are wet, but kept warm by exercise, no harm will 
follow. 

WHITE-SWELLING. 

This may be cured, but should be taken in season. Apply a 
small blister of salve made from blistering flies ; and dress it, 
after it has drawn one night, with salve made of vegetable oil 
spread on old linen. When this becomes perfectly well, blister 
another part of the swelling in the same way till the whole has 
been blistered. Continue this treatment till the swelling is 
cured. Sometimes they get well without assistance, but not 
usually : it is better to begin before it is of long standing. 

WHOOPING-COUGH. 
A child who has this disease coughs less to be out of doors, 
if its age and the weather permit. Some have it so lightly 
as not to be certain whether they will take it again or not, and 
others have a hard time ; but the wearing of wool clothing, and 
improved modes of living, appear to have lessened the severity 
of this cough. Give all the quince-jelly the child will eat, and, 
if it cannot sleep without, a fourth of a teaspoon of paregoric 



234 THE EOMEKEEPER. 

in cold water with sugar at bedtime. Keep the feet warm, and 
woollen clothing next the body. 

WORMS. 
When children are troubled with pin-worms, remove them, if 
seen, with the head of a pin. The larger kinds, it is said, may- 
be removed by giving spirits of turpentine, a few drops at a 
time ; but it is unsafe to use much of it. It is not safe to use 
worm-lozenges at all. 

THE HOME. 
The home should be an attractive place, and, if possible, per- 
manent. The people of this country rove about so much, that, 
to multitudes, the word " home " has no such significance as it 
has to those always living in one spot, or, if leaving the pater- 
nal mansion, knowing that that one spot still exists as their 
home. Kindness in the presiding spirits can make it attrac- 
tive to the children without much expense ; for kindness is the 
oil that keeps the wheels of life from creaking, and should be 
often used. 

A woman lives and works in a house most of the time, while 
a man does not : therefore she should be consulted as to its 
planning, or, what is better, make the plan herself. This can 
be easily done so that any architect may know what is wanted. 
First the land should be selected ; and this should be high, 
and where there can be a dry cellar all the year, as this has a 
great effect on the health of the inmates of the house. Damp 
or wet cellars breed disease in a family. 

In cities, it is quite as well, on some accounts, to have the 
house face the north, as carpets and parlor furniture are consid- 
ered too nice for the sun to shine on ; and as the back-rooms 
are less exposed to noise, and more suitable for invalids, the sun 
should be admitted into them. The kitchen is so damp, that 
the sun in summer will be no objection, if used ; which is not 
always the case, as many houses are closed during the hottest 
months. This arrangement also gives a good sunny yard for 
drying clothes, and a good exposure for raising grape-vines or 
other things. But, outside of cities, every house should have a 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 235 

southern front, or, what is better, have one corner towards the 
south, which gives one room on each story the sun all day. 
This makes a pleasant, warm room to sit in during winter, re- 
quiring only half the fuel to heat it which is necessary to warm 
a room without the sun. 

A house without a tree near it, as many houses still are, is 
an unpleasant object to look at, especially when a July sun 
beats fiercely upon it.' Old persons seem to have a prejudice 
against trees near a house, as if they would injure house and 
inmates ; and they are an injury where the other extreme is 
indulged, and the house set into a damp forest. Evergreen 
trees never should be near enough to a house to shade it ; the 
lawn is the proper place for them : and the house should be 
shaded by trees of lighter foliage; and, among these, none is 
preferable to the American elm. Its leaves fall early ; and in 
the'hottest weather it does not shade enough to harm the house 
or its inmates. Other light, deciduous trees should be used 
with the elm, for a variety ; but no straight lines should be al- 
lowed in setting them out, as there is no necessity for ploughing 
up the front-yard every year. Fir-trees trimmed up to resem- 
ble Shanghae roosters are offensive to the eye of taste. It takes 
a long time for small trees to become large ; and some people do 
not, for this reason, set out any : but it is very selfish, to say the 
best of it. Som'etimes a very fine spot may be selected for 
building where there are forest-trees already grown; and a little 
judicious thinning is all that is required ; but no pruning should 
be allowed. Every day, magnificent trees are ruined by this 
pruning. An American elm, if allowed to retain all its small 
branches, will become, when grown, a beautiful object, as these 
cling to and wind about the trunk, exactly resembling a vine. 
This is much more beatitiful than a long, bare, whitewashed 
trunk with a few feathers on its head. 

When about to build a house, it is best and cheapest to find 
out first just what is wanted. A compact house can be built for 
less money than one of the same size which is spread out, and 
adorned with many gables, projecting windows, and other 
things. Piazzas are fit only for a tropical climate, as they keep 



236 THE EOMEKEEPER. 

out the sun too much, in winter ; but if small, and on the north 
side of a house, are not much of a nuisance. A platform and 
railing without the piazza may he had, as it would be a good 
place to sit in summer. If there is not an abundance of 
wealth, a small house will afford its mistress most comfort, as a 
large house increases labor and care as well as expense. Near- 
ly every woman knows what kind of a house she wants, espe- 
cially if she ever lived in a hired house where most things were 
just as she did not want them. After this is ascertained, she 
should take a pencil, rule with inches and fractions marked on 
it, rubber, and drawing-paper, and make a plan to suit her 
wants and the amount of money proposed to spend on the 
house ; allowing a quarter of an inch to one foot on the plan, 
and also allowing about three inches for each inside partition, 
and six inches for the outer walls. Convenience in doing the 
work should be the first thing aimed at; comfort first, and 
ornament afterwards. In making a contract to have a house 
built by the job, it is necessary to specify every little item 
throughout in writing, or there will be many things left undone. 
Builders often know what kind of a house a woman wants 
much better than she does, and build it to suit themselves, un- 
less the owner is very decided about it. A small house built 
by the day will afford more real comfort than the largest one 
built by contract. 

Much is said, at present, of the necessity of ventilation ; and 
expensive, worthless contrivances are put into houses to secure 
this end. In summer, doors and windows give all the venti- 
lation that is needed : and in winter, where there are many 
children in a family, it is as impossible to keep the doors, inner 
and outer, shut without springs, as it would be to make a new 
world ; so that no one in such a house suffers for want of ven- 
tilation. When the family is composed of old persons, or old 
children, — there are such persons, — some ventilating is neces- 
sary ; but, as one family need not spread over much space in 
winter, one open fire in a small room secures all that is neces- 
sary. The kitchen should be ventilated with open doors or 
windows when one is at work in it, except in the coldest 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 237 

weather, and the chambers with open windows; and this 
method gives more real ventilation than all the draughts 
through partitions that have been invented. No one accus- 
tomed to this mode of living would ever take cold by it. Doors 
should open into entries if possible, excepting at the head of 
stairs, as this saves much room for furniture where it is most 
needed. 

A house of one story with a Mansard roof is equal to a house 
of two stories with any other roof. If slated, the cost of such 
a roof is more than others ; but it gives the advantage of cool 
sleeping-rooms, which common attics do not, because there are 
several feet in height above the finished rooms, thus keeping 
the roof-heat from affecting those rooms. Each of these rooms 
should have two windows in it ; and, if there is a second story 
containing sleeping-rooms, two windows in each are as many 
as will generally be used, and this arrangement allows space 
for the bed without having either of its sides against a window. 
An unfinished attic is a good place for drying clothes in bad 
weather and short days. 

BASEMENT. 
The underpinning forming a part of the basement should be 
high, to allow plenty of windows to light the cellar. Vege- 
tables do not decay in a dry cellar as they do in a damp one ; 
and, if it is. not very dry, it would be better cemented. Bar- 
rels of apples keep best set on a platform a few inches high, 
unless the ground is gravel or sand. It is almost dangerous to 
go into a dark, damp cellar, especially if heated by exercise, 
as some women do, to work over butter. They may have nice 
butter, but lose their health by it. No basement is fit for 
a kitchen nor wash-room, as, if used for a kitchen, it neces- 
sitates a constant passing up and down stairs, which is a per- 
fect waste of a woman's strength ; and, if used for a wash-room 
only, it causes colds and rheumatism. It is the easiest thing 
to take cold after washing, with the hands in warm water and 
the person surrounded by a steam from boiling water ; and the 
dampness of the basement rises around the lower limbs, caus- 
ing lameness. The basement is fit only for a cellar. 



238 THE EOMEKEEPER. 

BATH-EOOM. 

A bath-room is not a ne'cessity in a house, as one can bathe 
in any room that is warm ; but it is a convenience. Where 
connected with a water-closet, the worst odors are constantly- 
rising, and nothing can prevent it. They should be as separate 
as possible. If the earth-closet is what its friends claim it to 
be, it is preferable to the water-closet ; but no foul odors should 
be allowed in a house for one day. Every one who ever went 
into a very old house knows what odors met the smell from 
every part; and nothing less than fire can purify it. The 
waste-pipe should connect with a shallow cess-pool ; and this 
should be bricked or stoned a foot above the ground, and pro- 
vided with a cover and lock, so that the water can be dipped 
out often, and put on the garden. The closet should be entirely 
separate from this. A bath-room furnished with hot and cold 
water, silver-plated faucets, black walnut, and marble finish, 
and closet, costs, at present, about five hundred dollars. It 
should be situated over the kitchen stove or furnace. A cheap 
bath-room may be had by building a small room over the 
kitchen-stove, and having the pipe lead into a dummy or empty 
sheet-iron stove, and having the pipe which leads out of it 
smaller than the other, to retain the smoke and heat in the 
dummy, A bath-tub on wheels is convenient, especially for 
the sick. 

CHIMNEYS. 

Each fireplace should have a separate flue, and each flue 
should be plastered inside as well as outside, to prevent dan- 
ger from fire. 

CLOSETS. 

Every house should have plenty of closets : each chamber 
needs one, and some rooms more than this. It is better econ- 
omy to have them shallow, as a deep closet has much waste 
room in it. The iron hooks which are fastened with only one 
screw soon become worthless, as they turn around or break. 
They should be made for two screws ; but the small brass 
hooks with a screw on the end of each are preferable to all 
others. The hooks should not be more than three or four 



TEE HOMEKEEPER. 239 

inches apart. A closet for hats and coats is convenient if 
near an entrance. The bottom of it is a good place for boots 
and shoes. ,A closet for books preserves them better than if 
lying about loose to be dusted every day, and saves much 
time and labor. It should have glass doors. A water-closet 
is objectionable on account of the odors always accompanying 
it ; and the old-fashioned earth-closet, for those who live out- 
side of cities, is the best arrangement, as it can be supplied 
with fresh earth daily if desired. 

KITCHEN. 

This room needs a sink with a window over it, a water-pail 
box or pump on the right of it, with a long bench at the left, 
and a row of hooks over this. The ironing-room and kitchen 
should be one. A wide board for ironing may be fastened by 
hinges to one side of the room, and let down when not used. 
Elat-irons must be kept in a dry place, where they will not 
rust. The skirt-board should have a cover or bag to slip on 
when not in use, and the bosom-board, ironing-sheet, holder, 
and stand kept in a drawer near by. A clothes-horse for dry- 
ing clothes is not conducive to health, as the clothing is not 
usually half dried when put away. Some wooden chairs are 
much better to dry the clothes ; and these should be set as 
near the fire as possible without scorching. When one end is 
dry, turn the other to the fire. Damp clothing is frequently 
worn, and produces much disease, especially of a rheumatic 
nature. 

The kitchen should not be too large, as this would cause a 
great amount of needless travel in doing the work. It should 
always have two outside doors opposite each other, to make it 
endurable through the heats of summer ; and should always be 
on the north side of the house, if possible; then, at noon, 
when it is approaching the greatest heat of the day, the sun 
cannot shine into it. This is the only arrangement which 
affords a comfortable place in which to work in summer ac- 
companied by a good fire. The doors take most of the fire- 
heat out of them, especially if the stove is between them. 



240 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

A good brick oven is needed in a kitchen, as no stove ever 
will equal it in baking beans, brown-bread, Indian-pudding, 
plum-pudding, and many other things. It requires to heat 
with long pine-wood about an hour and a half, or until the 
black smoke is all burned off. Clear it ; let it cool a few min- 
utes ; then put in the beans, brown-bread, Indian-pudding, and, 
after a while, the pies. Squash-pies need more heat than those 
made without milk. 

LINEN OR DRESSING ROOM. 
Where the cellar is not very dry, it is better to sleep in the 
second story of the house ; but this causes a great amount of 
going up stairs if dressing-materials are kept there. A better 
way is to have a room on the first floor, where table-linen and 
other dry-goods are kept, and use it also for a dressing-room. 
It should be warmed in winter, and have materials for bathing 
and dressing. This room is convenient for the whole family 
to use by turns, being supplied with closets and drawers ; or, 
if preferred, it can be used as a bedroom. 

PANTRY. 

The pantry ought to contain seventy or eighty square feet 
of floor, and have one large window in it ; also a refrigerator, 
and a set moulding-board which is painted on the upper-side, 
and the under-side left unpainted, to turn over and use in 
moulding bread and making pies. This room should be, if 
possible, on the north or west side of the house, and between 
the kitchen and dining-room, that it may be convenient to 
both. Some of the shelves should be wide apart, to hold the 
largest platters standing in a deep groove at the back of it, 
and others less distance apart. They should be stained or var- 
nished instead of painted, as dishes, when turned down on them, 
frequently bring away on their edges the particles of paint ; 
and these are poisonous. There should be as many shelves as 
it is possible to get in, as this is a saving of house-room. Cur- 
tains in front of the shelves least used keep out much dust, 
and give a neat appearance. The lower shelf, about a foot and 



THE EOMEKEEPER. 241 

a half from the floor, should he used for iron-ware ; and this 
should he '^",rned over on it, instead of keeping it under a 
sink. Such a pantry affords a cool retreat for the cook in 
summer, and takes away the most unpleasant part of cooking 
at that season. It is sufficiently warm to cook in all the year 
excepting the very coldest and shortest days ; and then it is 
not much labor to carry the needed articles into the kitchen. 
E-oom should he left under the moulding-hoard for the flour- 
harrel, as flour in a hot place soon sours, and a kitchen is no 
place for it. 

A refrigers^vv^r should he kept in the pantry, as the most 
convenient place, saving much travel. It must he lined, or it 
will- mould from the dampness in it. The slate-lined ones are 
best, as zinc is a poisonous metal, and should never come in 
contact with food ; but careless persons soon break the slate, 
rendering it useless. Zinc is more durable and commonly used, 
but requires frequent cleaning, or it corrodes. As cold air al- 
ways falls when in contact with warm air, the ice-sink should 
be placed at the top of the refrigerator ; or, if a very high one, 
as high as convenient to lift the ice. Shelves should be as 
near as possible, and laid on supports, that they may be taken 
out to clean,- and dry thoroughly before replacing. Where 
lead-water is drank, as in cities, the ice-sink should be lined 
with tin, and have a tin spout leading out to draw off the 
melted ice to use in cooking and for drink. 

PUMP. 
E,ain-water should be provided for washing clothes ; and, as 
iron pipes are supposed to rust the water, lead is commonly 
used : but there is no such excuse for drinking it, as iron is 
beneficial when taken into the system in such very small par- 
ticles ; and I doubt whether an iron pipe would affect the water 
sufficiently to rust white clothing. A wooden log makes a good 
pump, if protected from the frosts of winter. It should either 
be on the sunny side of a house, or have a shelter over it. The 
water passing through lead pipe and copper pumps is too poi- 
sonous to be drunk ; but if used, and they freeze, po^SE boiling 

IS 



242 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

water on the outside, as this is most effectual, and does no 

harm, while much harm is often done by trying to thaw the 

inside. Also a sink-spout, if exposed and frozen, may be 

thawed in the same way. 

In many parts of New England, water can be made to run 

into the house a constant stream, if only the wooden pipes are 

laid. Pure spring-water brought in this way is a constant 

blessing ; and a perpetual fountain may also be had for almost 

notiiing. The small force-pumps, with only the handle and 

spout above ground, are easy to work, and convenient, with the 

addition of a hose-pipe, to water a garden, or put out the fire 

on a building. Galvanized pipes are unsafe, as the lining is 

poisonous. 

^ SITTING-ROOM. 

The room most used to sit in should be on the south-east 
and south-west sides of the house, to insure the sun all day, 
especially in winter, as it takes off a chill which fire will not 
wholly remove. People live too much out of the sun, being 
afraid it may harm the complexion or the carpets. Better 
would it be for health to do without the carpets, and admit the 
sun. Health is of more value than nice furniture. 

This room should not be larger than the family requires, as, 
if not, perhaps an open fire will be afforded; and this furnishes 
heat, ventilation, and exemption from doctors' bills for the 
price of fuel consumed. That farmer must be a poor manager 
indeed who cannot keep his wood growing as fast as one fire- 
place consumes it ; and there is no good reason why he should 
deprive his family of so great a blessing. And, for those who 
live in cities, how many could not afford one ojjen fire if the 
superfluities were abandoned ? House-plants conduce to health 
and happiness, and in such a room as this would grow finely, 
and blossom abundantly all winter. 

Parlors which are made only to shut up should be in the 
most out-of-the-wa}'^ place. They are made and furnished ac- 
cording to the latest fashion, which constantly changes. 

SLEEPING-ROOMS. 
There is a vast difference in the various ro'oms which are 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 243 

used to sleep in. Those tbat have high walls are much more 
comfortable in summer than low ones. One window is not 
enough ; there should be at least two, and these should not be 
against the head or back of the bed ; and, after the windows 
are provided, they should be opened. The first story of many 
houses is too damp for sleeping-rooms ; the upper one is too 
hot in summer, if not finished off somewhat lower than the 
rafters ; and the second story is usually the best one for sleep- 
ing-rooms. 

No room should be used for this purpose which wholly ex- 
cludes the sun, as there is a dampness which is injurious to 
health ; and not only should it be possible to admit the sun, 
but it should be admitted every day except during the three 
or four hottest months. No one can sleep without breathing, 
and no one can breathe without air : hence it is a miracle that 
any human being can sleep all summer in a room with closed 
doors and windows. Yet it is done, as some people are so 
shocked at the mere thought of night-air after bed-time. 
These are the people, no doubt, who " enjoy poor health." If 
health and comfort are of any value, the windows will remain 
wide open from spring till fall ; and then one will remain most 
of the remainder of the year. A person can keep warm in 
the coldest room if plenty of wool blankets are used. A fire- 
place is needed in each sleeping-room to furnish ventilation 
for those persons who will not have any windows open. 

WASH-EOOM. 
This need not be very large, but should be provided with 
three or four set tubs with a reversible wringer, hot and cold 
water ; and should be on the shaded side of the house. Win- 
dows should be back of the tubs, to furnish sufficient light. A 
set boiler is convenient, but will be likely to get burned or 
melted if not attended by the owner when emptied. The 
walls of the kitchen and wash-room should be painted, as paper 
soon drops off where there is much steam, and, besides, holds 
numerous odors, giving them out again. This can be easily 
cleaned. 



244 THE EOMEKEEPER. 

FURNITURE. 

The furniture should not be too good for children, nor any 
one else, to use. Better is it for the future of the children to 
attract them to than to drive them from a home too nice for 
them. So driven, they will easily find places which are none 
too good for them, and from which weeping mothers cannot 
easily turn them. Those children usually grow into the best 
men and women who have attractive homes not too good to use. 

A moulding should be placed around the top of each room, 
and hooks furnished on which to hang pictures by their cords, 
as this is preferable to driving in nails, and defacing the walls 
by so doing. Paint is better than paper for walls, as the latter 
holds so many odors. 

Expensive carpets are foes to health, as the sun may fade 
them ; and cheap ones afford most comfort. A bare floor kept 
clean is a luxury ; but woollen carpets full of dirt are hardly 
endurable. They may be washed, as well as other things, and 
should be as often as they need it. Wool carpets cause a 
great amount of labor ; for they require to be taken up at 
least once a year to keep out moths. No patent linings under- 
neath them are of any use. The moth-miller has wings, and 
can fly where it pleases, depositing its eggs on the upper-side 
of a carpet, under furniture which is not often moved. The 
fall is the best time to shake or wash carpets, as the eggs may 
then be destroyed before harm is done. Hemp carpets do not 
cost as much as woollen ones, neither do they wear as long ; but 
moths never harbor in them. Straw is the best material for 
chamber-carpets : they are easily swept, and are never troubled 
by insects if not taken up for years. Painted carpets are not 
as good as painted floors, and . are not as easily washed ; the 
little depressions on the surface needing a brush to clean 
them. 

Much of the nice stuffed furniture is alive with insects, 
which gnaw their way out in a short time. There is another 
objection to it : the air cannot be as pure in a room full of old 
stuffed furniture as where the furniture is made of materials 
which do not absorb every odor. Stout wooden chairs are 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 245 

needed for the kitchen ; and other rooms should have chairs 
of cane or willow. All dry-goods coming in contact with the 
human family need frequent renewing to insure cleanness and 
'health. Old rubbish kept for years without being washed is 
almost sufficient in itself to breed disease. 

Bedsteads should not be too high nor too low ; and some 
should be supplied with a side-board fastened on by hinges, 
so as to be up or down as wanted. This would prevent chil- 
dren from falling out when left alone, and save much trouble. 
There are man}'^ kinds of spring-beds ; and some of them are 
much better than others. Where the springs can be felt 
through the mattress, they are not very comfortable. A bed 
with sacking bottom is about as good as a spring-bed, if not 
better. A spring-bed, with one good mattress, is sufficient 
for summer; and a feather-bed should be added in winter. In 
making it, measure rather more than the length and breadth 
of the bedstead, unless a piece is to be inserted around the 
edge. There should not be more than half as many feathers 
put in as were formerly used ; for too many, even of the best 
feathers, make a hard bed. Pillows and bolsters usually have 
too many feathers in them ; and children's pillows should be 
very thin, and not too high for them. Quilts made of calico 
are almost worthless ; one woollen blanket retaining the heat 
of the person better than half a dozen of them, to say nothing 
of the habit of using them for years without washing. Spreads 
should be light, and lace is best for the material. Curtains 
should never be allowed around a bed : they keep out pure air. 
And window-nets are preferable to bed-nets to keep out mos- 
quitos, for the same reason. 

Window-curtains should not be so heavy and ornamental 
as to keep out the sun. The woollen cloth in pianos gets moth- 
eaten if not watched, and brushed often in summer. 

It is strange that humane persons can enjoy the sight of 
birds shut up for years in cages, prisoners for life, and in a 
very small prison, too, for one furnished with wings. How 
those useless wings must ache for want of exercise ! even as 
our hands would if kept hanging by our sides all the time in 



246 THE HOMEEEEPER. 

a cage. Place yourself in a cage for a little while, and most 
likely you will open the door, and let the prisoner fly away 
and be happy. 

CLEANING. 

The house need not he torn in pieces once or twice a year 
to clean it ; hut one room should he cleaned at a time. First 
carry out the furniture, then take up the carpet, and hang it 
on a line. Sweep the plastering with a clean broom, and the 
corners, also, to remove all webs. Nice white paint does not 
need soap to clean it: hut old or much -used paint should 
he washed with sapolio, and rinsed immediately ; then wipe 
it with a dry cloth. This removes pencil and all other 
marks. Window-glass should be washed in clean water 
without soap. Varnished wood must not be washed with 
soap ; for it takes off the polish. It is said that gilt frames 
may be coated with white varnish, so as to be cleaned with 
water ; but no soap can be used without injury. The floor 
should be washed clean, and become perfectly dry before the 
carpet is put down. Most carpets wear better to turn them, 
as the middle wears out sooner than the edges. A three-ply 
carpet does not wear well, being composed of three thin carpets 
fastened together in places : the upper one soon wears out, and 
leaves rags. The ingrain carpets wear best. Copper tacks 
are more durable than iron ones, and do not break like them. 

A clean moist cloth is best for wiping the dust from most 
furniture : a dry cloth only removes the dust to allow it to 
alight somewhere else in the room. A paint-brush cleans the 
dust from crevices. Sweeping is an evil which must be en- 
dured ; but as little dust as possible should be raised by it. 

Brass is cleaned easily with vinegar and salt. 

Feather-beds need to be shaken and turned over every day, 
or they soon become musty; and half a day is not too much to 
let beds have the air. Many persons, when making a bed, 
throw the clothes carelessly over the footboard ; but they get 
much soiled in this way, especially if walked over, as is not 
uncommon. A clean apron is the first thing needed in mak- 
ing beds ; and then, early in the morning, remove the bed- 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 247 

clothes, one at a time, laying them heads uppermost on one or 
two chairs, without letting them drag over the floor. Shake 
the feather-hed or mattress, and leave a half-day in that con- 
dition. When thus aired, smooth the bed, lay on the bolster 
or under-pillows, and put the top, or wide hem, of the sheet at 
the head of the bed, and have the right side up ; then place 
the upper-sheet wrong side up, with the head where it should 
be. If the blankets are likely to be put on half the time wrong 
end up, write the word " foot " in large letters, and sew on to 
one end ; and, whether the "help " can read or not, she will soon 
understand this. Lay on the spread, smooth the bed, and turn 
the upper-sheet over ; then lay on the pillows. Those who go 
from chamber- work to cooking, or washing dishes, should be 
reminded, if they forget it, that their hands need washing. 

HIRED PERSONS. 

There is no person living who can exist one day without 
making work for somebody to do ; and if there are any who do 
not do their share, or enough to take care of self, some other 
person must do more than her share. It would not, perhaps, be 
so difficult a matter to obtain good kitchen and house laborers, 
were they not constantly reminded of their inferiority by their 
employers. This is not pleasant to sensitive persons ; and the 
foreign helper, who is not over-sensitive, pays back, in the same 
coin, contempt, with interest. Pride, indolence, and money 
condemn multitudes to the loss of health for want of work, 
and other multitudes to toil all their lives for them. Can 
either party be called happy ? 

Those homes where there are not women enough to do the 
work for the incapables — such as children, men, and infirm and 
aged persons — need good help, and might obtain it if all those 
who are able worked ; but, as matters now are, many men are 
obliged to take care of wife or mother, if she happen to be sick, 
rather than let her suffer. When there is such a majority of 
women as in the Eastern States, it seems rather strange that 
such a state of things should exist ; but so it is. 

Employment-offices kept by men are not much benefit to 



248 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

any but the keepers, as girls are constantly sent to just such 
places as they did not want, and, when they arrive, find it out. 
Of course, they must pay a fee to secure each place ; and they 
are frequently kept going to just the opposite of the places 
which they desire. If they want to work in a small family, 
they are sent to a large one ; and so on, till they may he said 
to haunt the offices continually. Employers seeking help often 
pay fees without ever seeing a girl in return for it ; and sub- 
sequent visits are equally fruitless. This is one way in which 
money is made in cities. Offices to find employment for women 
should be kept only by women, as bogus operators have made 
quite enough out of both parties. 

Where girls are treated with kindness in a family, and do 
not choose to reciprocate it, they had better be paid at once 
and dismissed, as no comfort is to be found in such a state of 
things. It is becoming more difficult every year for girls to 
learn to do housework, as, if patiently instructed by the em- 
ployer, they at once show their gratitude by demanding an 
increase of pay; and most women, having become tired of 
teaching gratuitously, will hire none who do not know how to 
work. Most persons expect to pay for an education; but the 
foreign servant is not one of this class. 

Some persons who have method and order in every thing do 
their work, taking not half the steps that a different person 
would. Every thing should be brought up to time, and every 
thing kept in working-order ; and this can be done if nothing 
is neglected at the time it should be done. Small children 
destroy many things if left around loose ; and too, if hot 
water is left standing about, they are likely to fall into it and 
get scalded : so it becomes doubly necessary to do every thing 
at the right moment. " Shiftlessness " requires a great num- 
ber of persons to do the work which one intelligent laborer 
can do. 

The first requisite in a hired girl is an amiable disposition, 
as this makes smooth intercourse between employer and em- 
ployed ; and, where it is not possessed, it is of no use to try to 
get along comfortably. A woman has more patience with a 



THE EOMEKEEPER. 249 

girl who is willing to be taught than with one who already 
knows more than all the women in America, although not able 
to do any work as it ought to be done. The next requisite 
is honesty ; and, with these two secured, there is a foundation 
to build on. Patience must now be exercised, and only a few 
things taught, and a very few faults corrected, at once ; and with 
the most obstinate cases there will be, in a few weeks, a marked 
improvement. It is better to take some trouble at first, and 
keep one girl a long time, if possible, as most likely, the longer 
she stays, the more she will do her work like her emploj'er. 

Neatness is very desirable, and the want of it very con- 
spicuous sometimes. One who cannot be induced to bathe at 
least face and hands each morning immediately after rising, 
and hands as often as neatness requires, might as well be dis- 
missed at once, as no good is to be hoped for from such a 
source. 

The pay of hired girls is sufficient, if judiciously laid out, 
to clothe them well, and have something left to lay up for 
future wants. There are very few women, the wives of 
farmers or mechanics, who spend as much money on them- 
selves as do hired girls ; and, if there is so much pity neces- 
sary for those "starving sewing-girls" we hear so often about, 
let them remember that there are plenty of good homes await- 
ing them, if they only choose to work where they are most 
needed. If they prefer to remain where they are, let them 
remember, that, if ever they marry, the same trials from over- 
work, and want of help, await them which they are now inflict- 
ing on other women. 

There are many American women, who, not much accus- 
tomed to keeping help, do not know how to treat foreign girls. 
They treat them after the " fine-lady " fashion the first week 
or so ; and the girls, not being used to any thing of that sort 
before they go out to service in American families, soon think 
themselves mistress of the situation, and proceed to make 
themselves such at once. Upon this the employer finds that 
they are not quite perfect, but a long way from it, and perhaps 
scolds. Then the servant packs up and departs, to have the 



250 THE EOMEKEEPEIt. 

farce repeated at another place. It would be inncli better 
to treat them as hired persons at once than to go through 
the usual course. American women have the reputation of 
being more amiable than most other women : and, foreign ser- 
vants not being used to any thing but harsh treatment before 
they arrive in this country, — a kind of anticipated heaven to 
them, — the change is too great to come so suddenly as it does 
to them, from almost slaves, as it were, to "fine ladies ;" and 
it spoils them. Always used to working out of doors in Eu- 
rope, housework in an American family is nothing but play to 
them. 

Presents only demoralize the recipient ; and it is much better 
to pay good wages, and have it understood that no perquisites 
are allowed. 

CARE OF CHILDREN. 

Many women leave the care of their children almost wholly 
to hired girls. When civilization and refinement degenerate 
into pride and idleness, they have gone a little too far. The 
greatest men and women often come from the middle class, 
where the parents take proper care of their children, and never 
leave them with servants to be spoiled. Extremes meet : the 
children of the wealthiest parents are brought up by servants, 
so that the richest and the poorest children do not differ much 
in their moral training and in the education of the heart. 
Websters are seldom reared in palaces. 

How beautiful the dying mother's words for her boy ! — 

" Teach him love, and thou wilt teach him 
Farthest thing from every sin." 

But the best way to teach it is to practise it. More than one 
rule is hardly necessary to guide us in training up children ; 
and no reference is here intended to Solomon's method, so 
much admired and practised by our ancestors. A man who 
had so many wives was hardly fit to give advice on the subject. 
Did our pious forefathers forget that such a person as Christ 
ever lived on earth ? Did they ever read that he blessed chil- 
dren ? Did they ever find any place in the Bible where he recom- 



THE HOMEEEEPER. 261 

mended whipping them ? He knew they would get enough, 
and too much of it, even if he set men a better example. His 
treatment of women and children was something new on 
earth, and astonished the multitudes quite as much as did his 
miracles. 

Love the little ones ; have patience with them, and teach 
them what is right. Love and firmness are both needed to 
balance each other ; and firmness can be practised without 
severity. More good will be accomplished in this way than 
by Solomon's method. 

The child that is not loved soon knows it and feels it, re- 
turning measure for measure. If parents will cast their chil- 
dren out of their hearts, their own path in old age will be 
strewn thickly with the thorns they planted. Where men and 
women leave an aged, helpless parent to die in a poor-house, 
was there not something wrong in their home-education ? Did 
not a grasping spirit of gain drive them from home when 
young ? It would be well for parents to consider these things 
in season. 

The mother who loves her child never will keep it from play 
to sew or to do any other quiet work. Boys need play to 
insure growth and development of body as well as soul, and 
most of them get all they need of it : but girls are doomed to 
be caged during growth, suffering more than the children of 
slaves ever did, for they could roll around to their hearts' con- 
tent ; but the little Northern girl must be a lady, — distressing 
word ! — and not get tanned, nor do any thing that would bring 
upon her the name " tomboy." 

It is cruel to keep a little child sitting still at work most of 
the day ; and it is time every mother knew it. In the towns 
where straw goods are manufactured, little girls are kept braid- 
ing or sewing most of the time except during school-hours, 
and get little or no play or exercise. The consequence is, they 
are pale and thin, often with stooping shoulders caused by the 
weariness of one position nearly all day, and a melancholy 
nature which they never lose, when they ought to be free and 
happy as birds. 



252 THE nOMEKEEPER. 

A stranger would naturally ask what good was intended to 
be accomplished by such a course. The only answer can be, A . 
few cents are earned, and also received if the employer does 
not happen to fail. Such girls grow up into delicate young 
women, but usually fade in a short time ; and their waists are 
so thin, it is a wonder they do not break in two. They are not 
fit for life's stern business, and are as feeble as any women who 
can be found in this country, — sufferers through life. 

Children should play out of doors all they desire to till old 
enough to work ; and then girls should be taught to do house- 
work, — one part at a time, till, in a few years, they shall be 
competent to fill the places for which they were made. Pride 
causes a great deal of the suffering endured in this world. 
Qirls and boys should be taught some way of earning a living, 
no matter what their prospects may be ; but such is not the 
common practice at present. Girls must be "ladies," with 
white, flabby hands ; and boys must be gentlemen, whether 
qualified or not. The Jewish custom of having every boy learn 
a trade is a good one, and would save much grief and mortifi- 
cation -to those, who, after rushing unprepared into business 
of which they have no knowledge, have no resource left but 
dishonesty. 

Most parents are very careful of boys at an age when they 
are safest, and afraid to let them play in the street ; but no 
sooner do they reach that most dangerous age, when the boy 
is turning the corner that leads to manhood, than they are let 
loose, to go to ruin if they choose. Such careful parents are 
astonished, sometimes, in a very few weeks or months after 
letting loose the reins of government. It would be better to 
reverse the present practice, and let the little boys take care 
of themselves mostly, and pay a little more attention to the 
older ones. . 

Children need amusement ; and it shovild be of such a kind 
as will benefit them morally. Books should be read before 
being given to them, as these have a great influence for good 
or evil over them. Many sabbath-school libraries need weed- 
ing, as a large number of the books, in the discipline which 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 253 

■they recommend for children, would do honor to Turks as the 
authors of them. Home books should not be too good for chil- 
dren to use. Pictures cut out of papers and books not wanted, 
and preserved in a scrap-book for them, interest them much in 
winter and stormy days. 

Children at school during the month of May need all their 
winter clothing, as there is usually no fire kept then, and a» 
schoolroom is colder than a dwelling-house. Many colds are 
the result of substituting summer for winter clothing in this 
bleak month. Our summer does not begin before June ; and, 
even then, caution must be used, or a cold follows. 

Although all the windows of a schoolroom may be open, it 
will not be any toQ well ventilated ; and for this reason, if for no 
other, children should not be sent to school more than one-half 
of each day. Twice the number of schoolhouses are built 
which are needed, as one-half the children should attend in the 
morning, and the other half in the afternoon. The older ones 
might prepare their lessons in the morning at home, and recite 
them in the afternoon. This would be preferable to the pres- 
ent mode, although not perfect. 

In remote districts, the outer buildings are sometimes a per- 
petual nuisance because joined to the schoolhouse. These 
should be removed to prevent disease ; but, if the teacher has 
no power to effect this, a little dry earth will remove danger- 
ous odors if applied where needed. 

But there is another reason why children should attend 
school but one-half of each day ; and it is because it is an injury 
to their young brains, and bodies too. Little children are not 
capable of studying, and need the teacher's help if they have 
tasks set them. Young teachers expect too much of young 
children, mentally as well as morally. They should have more 
faith in love as a help in the management of children. Love 
is not the fiction of pussy-cat writers, as matter-of-fact per- 
sons think : it is a reality. Young teachers have more faith 
in the rod than in ideas : but this is a mistake of youth wrongly 
educated ; that is, educated under fear. 

Instead of beating mischievous boys in the presence of the 



254 THE HOMEEEEPER. 

whole school, — which is too often practised, and which only 
hardens them into villains, — they should be detained till the 
other pupils have left ; and then a few earnest, kind exhortations 
will bring from them the promise of better behavior in future. 
They may do some other mischievous deed ; but they seldom 
or never repeat that particular offence they have promised not 
•to. It is weU to have a little more faith in reason, and less in 
birch. But, even if the boy must be punished, it does infinitely 
more good to punish him in private than to degrade him before 
the whole school. He never forgets this. Every school has a 
self-constituted captain ; and, if he is subdued the first week, 
there is no more trouble worth speaking of during that term. 

MARRIAGE. 

Young men are most exposed to danger when first leaving 
the parental home, — often being mere boys, — and then most 
need a mother's care ; and, if she is as " strong-minded " as 
mothers need to be, she will bestow that care. Dr. Culverwell 
says, " On the first development of the sexual power, so apt is 
youth of both sexes to acquire some secret method of obtaining 
personal gratification, that every means of retarding that 
knowledge should be adopted." 

This may be true in his country, England ; but only the 
male sex in this country are much addicted to the habit, and 
this would be more uncommon did more healthy views in re- 
gard to early marriage prevail. At the very age when most 
5'oung persons are most inclined to marry, they are, in nearly 
every instance, discouraged from it by older persons. 

Those united young grow together like two young trees 
bound together when small. Young lovers would gladly unite, 
did not parents oppose. Did they marry before they are of 
legal age, they must ask the consent of four parents ; and how 
could four, yes, six persons be expected to think alike ? But 
what are the real objections ? The mother is afraid, if her son 
marries, she will appear old too soon, especially if grandmother. 
The father might have to support, or help do so, not only his 
son, but another man's daughter, and perhaps one or two 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 255 

more, before his son can support his own family. This may he 
selfish ; hut it is too true. The maiden's mother thinks her too 
young to assume such grave responsibilities, considering her 
still a child ; and also has selfish objections like the other 
mother. Her father thinks she must not hurry too much, but 
wait till some rich old customer comes along. The match is 
broken off unless the parties most interested choose to be mar- 
ried clandestinely. 

But suppose it broken off. The young man seeks the com- 
pany of other young men. He is induced to take a glass : it 
is often repeated. Nest tobacco comes in to hide the fumes 
of strong drink. Women of a questionable sort are introduced 
to him ; and money must be had, no matter to him how : and 
thus he goes on through a complete course of sin and wretch- 
edness till nature is exhausted. Then his friends begin to 
think it is time for him to marry, and advise him to. He and 
they cast around their observations to see who is good enough 
for such a nice man. The one invariably selected by and for 
such a man is at the head of her class for virtue, and perhaps 
for moneyed prospects. Let such beware : they are oftener 
selected by such men than any other. The more of unworn 
life and vivacity such a one has, the more likely will she be 
to receive attentions from every worn-out, impotent man, whe- 
ther old or prematurely old. 

How is it all the while with the little maiden who was 
thought too young to know-what was best for her ? She lives 
on, a martyr to love, never forgetting the early dream, with the 
rude awakening, and always thinking of him as he was, not 
as he is ; for she does not know yet how low a man can fall. 
She may marry some good man worthy of her, either younger 
(which is oftener the case than most persons suppose) or much 
older; and in either case she will try to do her duty : but 
there is ever one face that may possibly haunt her dreams, and 
trouble her conscience. If so, whose sin is it ? Will those 
parents before mentioned take any of it ? It is hoped so. 

Or, — what is quite as likely to happen if two young hearts 
are thus separated, — while the man marries, she lives alone all 



256 THE EOMEKEEPER. 

lier life, doing good to others, and finding all the happiness 
she does find in this. 

There is no set age for persons to marry. Nature has in- 
dicated somewhat ; but it depends on the development of the 
aifections, and these will develop in strength equal to the 
development of the body. Most young persons know what 
age is best for themselves. 

Women's education is false and wrong from beginning to 
end. They have not a clear perception of the difference be- 
tween right and wrong. They are taught that they must be 
" ladylike," and that they must entirely deny themselves and 
their own happiness for others, some man being meant. 
What wonder, then, that so many unhappy wives is the result ? 
If their own happiness was thought of in contracting mar- 
riage, there would be a different state of things from what 
now exists. One would think mothers might learn something 
from their own experience which might benefit their daugh- 
ters. 

Marriage, to the unmarried young woman, appears to wear 
rosy hues ; but after one year of trial, and perhaps disappoint- 
ment, it looks prosy instead. Men are not always the whis- 
kered angels young girls suppose them to be, but are slightly 
tinctured with selfishness, having animal wants to be supplied ; 
and woman is the help which is considered meet for him. A 
handsome man loves himself better than any one else, after 
having been petted so much as to become supremely selfish. 
The man who has loved one above all others never will be 
able to love another equally well ; but the most hopeless case 
is the one who has become weary of life from indulging in a 
career of vice. No woman need expect any love from such 
a source, as it is as impossible for him to love as to create a 
new world. 

It is a foolish custom in this country of secluding two young 
persons in a room by themselves because attached to each 
other. Often the result is, the daughter is married to a man 
of whom her parents know almost nothing ; and, had his 
visits been made to the family, the eye of parental love might 



THE HOMEKEEPER, 257 

have detected the rock on which the daughter's happiness is 
wrecked. Let the time pass by reading, conversation^ amus- 
ing the children ; and, if the lover endures this test, it will 
be as safe to marry him as any one, if he is loved above all 
others excepting the home-circle. 

Many persons consider it a sin to break an engagement to 
marry. But suppose it not broken, but kept unwillingly : is this 
any better ? If the heart loathes an engagement, which, from 
intimate acquaintance, has become disagreeable, it is better 
to break away from it at once than to enter the portal of 
married life with a lie on the lips, promising what it is impos- 
sible to perform, with angels and mankind for witnesses. 
How much misery has arisen from such unbroken engage- 
ments ! An unhappy engagement should be broken before it 
is too late, as this is infinitely better than broken marriage- 
vows, which must otherwise follow. No one has a right to 
involve the innocent fruit of a guilty marriage in lifelong 
misery. 

Love cannot be constrained : it is free as the wind, that 
bloweth where it listeth ; and the choice of a life-companion 
should be equally free. There is nothing binding on either 
party to an engagement ; and each should be free to reverse 
the intention — there should be no promise — up to the last 
moment before marriage : but, after that, what is done cannot 
be undone ; and there will not often be any desire that it should 
be, if the choice of each is perfectly free. 

Marriages that are most likely to prove happy ones are 
those that unite two whose mental capacities come near being 
equal, and, what is of still more importance, who are about 
physically equal. If the delicate young girl, tenderly reared, 
is united to one of her own age whose vitality is above the 
average, while hers is below it, her married life will be very 
short indeed. Mothers ought to instruct their daughters in 
these matters, as they have no other means of knowing them. 
No girl should be induced by pity for a man to marry him, 
lest his heart should break : there is no danger of this, as they 
are made of stout material. Tears are quite as often the sign 
17 



258 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

of physical impotency as of a breaking heart : no maiden 
should, be moved by them. 

When two young persons seem particularly pleased with 
each other, there is usually more or less interference from 
persons not at all concerned. These cannot be treated with 
too much contempt ; for a life of sorrow has often been the 
result of listening to such serpent-like advisers. 

It is more common than generally supposed for the woman 
to be older in years than her husband ; but physically it is 
oftener the other way. Young women have an erroneous idea 
that their sex grows old faster than the other : the reverse of 
this is true, men growing old sooner than women. Elderly 
women are frequently more difficult to live happily with than 
men, as their vitality holds out wonderfully. A fast young 
man is sometimes old at twenty, — certainly at thirty ; 
while a woman is no older physically at thirty than she was 
at sixteen. Old men and impotent young men seek as wives 
those who have most vitality to stimulate their decay : hence 
young women who possess any should conceal the fact as much 
as possible. They are not educated in these matters ; and all 
others know more even about themselves than they do. 

A virtuous youth is most likely to bring a happy old age ; 
and those who were happily and suitably mated and married 
become more attached to each other as life advances. They 
should, in early life, secure a pleasant home, that age may not 
bring poverty along with it ; and they will live longer and 
more pleasantly not to change the old home, with its associa- 
tions, for a new one. Old persons who leave their home seem 
haunted continually by a desire to return to it. 

We hear much, of late, on both sides of what is called the 
woman-question, or, more properly, the relations of the sexes 
to each other. The rights woman demands are not, as yet, 
allowed to her as man's equal in government ; but he pretends 
to treat her in a chivalrous or gallant manner. He may do so 
in conspicuous places, with the elite as witnesses ; but every 
woman who has ever travelled alone, if not far, knows that she 
must literally contend her way whenever coming in business- 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 259 

contact with a man. Large men never would think of treating 
small men as they do women, because the small man's vote is 
as large as the vote of a Hercules. 

Men join cluhs to find society ; and why can it not be found 
at home ? Because woman has been kept so much in ignorance, 
and without a voice in government, that she is unfit for a 
social companion to man, as he thinks ; and he leaves her alone, 
doubly wretched. The average woman is superior to the 
average man morally, his equal mentally, and inferior only in 
physical strength. Through this animal superiority, and 
woman's generosity and unselfishness, men have kept the 
reins of government, and held women in subjection. Colleges 
were provided for men and boys ; but no woman, till recently, 
could enter one of them as a student. Probably the men 
wisely concluded that women without education were the 
equals of educated men. They knew the studies pursued there 
were not such as to preserve woman's purity (nor man's either) ; 
and hence another reason for excluding her. 

Man and woman should work together, and help each other 
as do the right and left hands ; and, if any one supposes the 
left hand is not as useful as the right, let him keep it tied up 
to his shoulder all one day, and by night he will be convinced 
that it is more useful than he supposed, — performing the more 
delicate operations, while the right is used for its strength. 
Woman, like the left hand, performs the more delicate opera- 
tions in labor and life ; and both are necessary, and equally 
valuable and important as are their counterparts. 

When we read, as we often do, of the extravagance of 
women, the whole sex is included in the denunciation, as if the 
whole sex were but one woman. The few most conspicuous 
in society may be somewhat extravagant to please wealthy 
fathers or husbands, — merchants who take this way to adver- 
tise their goods ; but this class does not include quite the whole 
sex. There is another class, less extravagant, but still some- 
what inclined that way ; and the extravagance of this class is 
thoughtlessly cultivated by being forced by husband or father 
to buy on credit. If such women could have the same amount 



260 TEE HOMEKEEPER. 

of money to handle, they would not spend more than one- 
fourth what they now do. Salaried men should allow wife and 
daughters a yearly amount ; and they would, no douht, live 
within their income. As we descend in the scale of extrava- 
gance, we come to the families of mechanics and farmers ; and 
the wives of most of them do not spend over fifty dollars a year 
for themselves (this is heing very extravagant, no douht) ; 
while the daughters usually find something to do hy which 
they earn their own living. 

Men know what is for their interest, financially, when they 
refuse to allow a yearly income, either large or small, to the 
women they have undertaken to i:)Totect ; for most women are 
so economical, that they save in all ways to add to the common 
property, instead of ever thinking to lay up one cent for them- 
selves ; although a person of the slightest observation knows 
how a woman is usually left in regard to property, if left a 
widow. She knows nothing of the care of property, never 
having had any to take care of, unless she had some before 
marriage, and kept it, which is an uncommon case ; and now 
she trusts it to the care of some man, getting, generally, little 
or nothing, except in rare cases. Women need to be more 
self-reliant than they are. The vine clinging to the oak may 
do very well in poetry, if vines ever do cling to oaks ; but the 
American elm is a better emblem of woman, — light, graceful, 
and self-sustaining. 

But this cry about woman's extravagance is a mistake. 
Women working just as much as men do, for less pay than 
men, in reality support them. More than half the married 
women work for their board and clothing, and earn more than 
three or four times that. If that is not supporting the men, 
what is ? Most girls employed by manufacturers earn from 
two to ten times as much as they receive ; and is not this sup- 
porting the men ? Women as teachers do not receive as much 
pay as men, even when doing the same work : is not this 
supporting the men ? Women as clerks do not receive as 
much pay as men : if this is not supporting the men, what 
is it? 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 261 

Women, married or single, who have property, should trust 
it to no one person to take care of. If they do not know much 
about the care of it, the subject is not difficult to learn ; and if 
they do not take care of it in the most approved manner, if 
doing their best, they will realize more income from it than by 
trusting it to some sorts of men, who are most willing to accept 
such trusts. Women who own property are not usually extrav- 
agant, as the possession of some creates a desire for more : 
neither are they forgetful of the poor ; for theirs is generally a 
liberal hand. 

That woman is the equal of man, and intended as such by 
her Creator, is plain enough to any candid person. There is 
nothing in all Christ's acts and teachings more beautiful than 
his treatment of women and children, — the physically weak, — 
and nothing more is needed to prove his divinity than this. 
His mother assumed authority over him after he had com- 
menced his public life, and this he could not permit ; but to the 
lowest and meanest of her sex he was kind, and even tender. 
God never made woman to be man's slave, but his equal in all 
things ; and her chains are of man's forging ; and, through 
Christ's powerful influence, man must make her free, whether 
it come sooner or later. 

In this free country the black man is a ruler, and the white 
as well as black woman in subjection. How long shall it be 
so ? If women are permitted to vote, it does not follow that 
they must hold office, any more than a majority of men now do. 
No man supposes he must hold office because he is a voter ; and 
still less would any sensible woman wish to, as, with her more 
delicate organization, insanity would often result from the 
strife of political contests. The voter is the real ruler ; while 
the office-holder is a public servant, dependent on the good-will 
of his electors for his continuance in office. No virtuous 
woman would want to be a mark for the calumnies of an oppo- 
site party, as public men always are. 

"Be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow. 
Thou shalt not escape calumny," 

if starting in a political contest. 



262 THE HOMEKEEPER. 



THE FARM. 

More fortunate than a king is the man who owns a farm, 
and is able to work on it intelligently and profitably. Most 
articles used for food or drink are more or less adulterated 
before sold. Meat is not always what it should be ; and, if we 
need not ask any questions about it for conscience' sake, we 
must for the sake of our health. The farmer's food can be 
wholly free from all poisonous substances, and his meat free 
from disease. 

The man bred to farming should not despise agricultural 
books and papers, but get what good he can from them : at 
least, they will set him thinking ; and thought is the parent of 
action. Such books as " Copeland's Country Life," and 
others of a similar nature, will interest the young in farming, 
and perhaps help keep the boys at home, where they are most 
needed, and where they will find as much happiness as is to be 
found anywhere else in the world. 

Home should be made attractive and beautiful to them, 
instead of being a desolate house, unshaded by a single tree, 
and unadorned by a single shrub or flower. It is no wonder 
that farmers' sons seek the cities, where outward beauty is not 
despised as at home. The young human heart yearns towards 
the beautiful ; and, if the father particularly admires cabbages 
and potatoes, the children are equally enthusiastic over flowers. 

Many persons seem to think that Eastern farming is unprof- 
itable, since the West sends so many of its products here : but 
there are some things in which the West cannot compete with 
the East ; and one of these is raising fresh milk for the cities. 
The supply will not exceed the demand for years, if ever. 
Good butter and cheese will always find a market here, because 
good butter is not always to be found ; and cheese is shipped to 
Europe in large quantities. Good veal and pig-pork can be 
sold in unlimited quantities ; and as for lambs and spring poul- 
try, the price is enormous every summer. Eggs bring twice 
what they ought to in the opinion of consumers : and sometimes 
fresh eggs are not to be had at any price ; most that are used 



TEE HOMEKEEPER. 263 

in the large cities being brought from Canada and the West, 
packed in barrels, and are any thing but fresh. 

Small sage-cheeses would meet with a rapid sale, and bring 
profitable prices, especially if no dye-stuff was put into them. 
Butter for market, in summer, should be done up in quarter- 
pound cakes, and neatly stamped with some appropriate device, 
and carried to market in tubs with shelves on the sides, and ice 
in the centre. 

Small packages convenient for retailing sell best. Berries 
and fruit of all kinds now bring profitable prices ; and much 
money is made from them by the enterprising farmer. While 
the Western farmer carries on his operations on a large scale, 
the Eastern one, not too far from market, will find that the 
small things pay best. 

Most farmers lose much by allowing such a waste of manure 
as runs to no account in the sink-drain and barn-cellar. In- 
stead of being a source of profit, it usually becomes a nuisance, 
not having a pleasing odor. If mixed with loam, or left so as 
to be dipped out and spread on the land, it would be found 
very productive. Manure is the farmer's wealth ; and it should 
not be wasted, as it often is. 

ANIMALS. 

All domestic animals suffer more from the want of water and 
salted food than from any thing else ; and this is the most prob- 
able cause of so much disease among them. It is said that the 
hoof and mouth disease in cattle is cured in India by driving 
the cattle on to the salt marshes, and keeping them there till 
cured. Why should not animals need their food salted in the 
same proportion as men's ? — that is, a heaped teaspoon of fine 
salt to one quart of food. It is true, some animals have salt 
given them ; but what man would think of sitting down to a 
dish of salt, either before or after dinner, once in a month or 
two, and eating all food without salt the remainder of the 
time ? It would seem as if common sense might dictate a dif- 
ferent course. 

And how many farmers have good water where all their 



264 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

animals can get it as often as wanted? Not many, it is 
feared. 

cows. 

All animals are easiest managed when kindly treated, and 
cows more than any other, as they dislike to be milked by one 
who abuses them, and often hold back a part of the milk in 
consequence. A good cow may be spoiled in a short time by 
harsh treatment. Some recommend a long stool to use in 
milking, one end of which shall hold the milker, and the other 
the pail ; and in this way it is not so easy for the cow to kick 
the milk over if the drawing of it hurts her. 

Cows will be ready to go home at night, and thereby save 
much hunting after them all over the pasture, if they expect 
a good supper of meal that has been salted, scalded, and 
thinned till of the right consistency to be agreeable. 

HOGS. 

There is little or no pork raised which is fit to be used 
as food. What human being could be well for one month 
cooped up in such close quarters as are hogs, month after 
month, often exposed for weeks to the hot summer sun with- 
out shade, compelled to wallow in their own filth, without a 
drop of water to drink excepting what is mixed with their 
swill, and this of such a nature that no hog would eat it un- 
less compelled by hunger to do so ? No dish-water is fit for 
the food of any hog ; yet it is common to put it in the swill- 
pail, mix a little meal with it, and feed the animal. 

Corn-meal swells gradually if wet in cold water, and should 
always have boiling water poured on at first, that it may swell 
instantly ; then it should be thinned and cooled. Hogs need 
exercise as much as any other animals, and must be sick kept 
as they are in pens only large enough to allow them to turn 
round. No pork raised in this way can be fit for food; yet 
this is the common custom in the Eastern States. Sometimes, 
however, the case is worse, and the animal is kept under the 
barn and privy, never seeing the light of day. If allowed to 
run in the orchard, they confer as well as receive benefit ; but 



THE EOMEKEEPER. 265 

water should be provided where they can get it at all times. 
It is not profitable to give hard corn to hogs, meal being much 
better for them. 

Another mistake which is commonly made is in keeping 
hogs till too fat : such pork is not sweet like that from pigs, 
and does not bring so large a price if wanted for fresh pork. 
People are beginning to give their attention now to the rais- 
ing of pig-pork for the Eastern cities, as it is in great demand, 
and brings good prices. De Voe says that the best pork is 
from a pig which weighs from fifty to a hundred and twenty 
pounds. It is probable that the market will not be overstocked 
with this kind of pork very soon, as farmers have got the idea 
firmly fixed, that, the larger the hog, the better : but this is not 
so ; neither is there so much profit in raising such pork. 

HOKSES. 

Horses, as well as other working animals, should be allowed 
to rest every seventh day; and if they must go to church 
every Sunday, and stand harnessed most of the day, they should 
be allowed to rest Monday or Saturday. 

Animals that eat hay often get choked : and, if a hand is 
put down tlieir throat, frequently the cause will be found to be 
a stick ; and this should be removed carefully. Animals which 
are raised for food, should, if sick, be killed, and covered in lime 
in a place dug for the purpose, as sick meat is not fit for food ; 
but, if taken care of rightly, few animals would be sick. But 
horses, when sick, should have very much the same remedies as 
the human family needs. Ignorant men torture animals with 
harsh and unheard-of remedies, which only make the disease 
worse. 

If it is better for a horse to wear blinders than to go entirely 
without, those which set out from the eye should be used, as 
the flat kind often rub against the eye, and injure it. No hu- 
mane man will allow his horse's head to be strapped back in 
an unnatural and painful position by a check-rein. A loose 
check-rein serves every needful purpose. 

Work-horses, in summer, should have as little harness as pos- 



Zbt> THE EOMEKEEPEB. 

sible to carry about, much raore being generally used tban is 
needed. Nearly all domestic animals are penned in too close 
quarters, especially during our hot summers ; and the horse is 
no exception to this. There is no need of fastening him by 
the neck every night, and putting him in such small quarters : 
there is room in the pasture, if not in the stable ; and he would 
prefer it to all other places. Kindness to all animals, and 
especially the horse, pays well, not only in a saving of temper 
and trouble, but also in time, which is money. 



Much profit comes from raising lambs for market, as they 
always bring good prices ; and wool usually brings enough to 
make the production of it profitable : but there is great loss 
in some towns by dogs killing off the sheep. The cause of 
the strong " woolly " or sheepy taste which some mutton has 
is said to be in the manner of dressing it; care not being 
used to remove the intestines whole as soon as possible after 
slaughtering. 

It costs little to keep sheep in comparison with some ani- 
mals, except fencing the pasture ; and this is not very expen- 
sive as some manage it. A fence four feet high or more is 
needed to keep them, or a large movable pen ; but no animal 
should be kept in a space too small to allow plenty of exer- 
cise. It is generally supposed that the manure of sheep is a 
great benefit to a pasture ; but the land should be ploughed, or 
the benefit will not be perceptible. 

DeVoe says, " A large-framed, coarse-woolled, fat sheep pro- 
duces a coarse-grained, dry, and but indifferent-flavored mutton ; 
while the middle-woolled, round, plump, thick sheep — gener- 
ally found in the South-down, Leicester, Cotswold, &c., breeds 
— produces the close-grained, tender, juicy, and high-flavored 
mutton, especially when they are allowed to feed upon the 
short, sweet grass of the hills and mountains, with the addi- 
tion of proper stall-feeding afterwards." 

Another writer says, " Sheej) well grazed are better than the 
sta.II-iV(l, and have that gamy and juicy flesh so liked by 
epicui-i;':^," 



THE EOMEKEEPER. 267 

Mutton is considered nicest when from three to five years 
of age. There should be no continued breeding in. 



Bees are a source of much profit where they find sufficient 
food ; but, if nothing is raised out of which they can make 
honey, it is useless to expect any. First, there should be 
clover or buckwheat, or both, grown to furnish them with ma- 
terial to work. The hives should be set on a bench or form, 
with a roof or cover, where there is plenty of air in summer ; but 
these should also be shaded from the sun by trees. In winter, 
the back or north side should have a shelter, made so as to be 
ready to fasten on easily as soon as needed, and kept on till 
summer. It is considered best that all hives, in summer, should 
be elevated from the board on which they stand, at least half 
an inch, by a block vxnder each corner ; thus keeping out mill- 
ers' eggs, and allowing a circulation of air. 

The common box-hive, with a chamber and drawers in the 
top, is considered as good as any. The lower part should hold 
the bees' winter-supply ; and the chamber above should contain 
two drawers for surplus honey, these opening from the back of 
the hive. The joints should be tight, to keep out the bee-moth 
and vermin. A movable pane of glass forms the end of each 
drawer, and should be closed by a sliding-door, or a panel with 
hinges. Each drawer should communicate with the lower 
apartment by a hole in the centre of the bottom, an inch or 
more in diameter. This hole should be closed with a piece of 
tin until the bottom of the hive is filled with honey. 

Young swarms leave the hive about the middle of May. If 
they alight on a tree, place a table, covered with a clean white 
cloth, under the limb on which they are, and put on this cloth 
two sticks of board or wood, ten inches apart ; the'n hold the 
limb while another person saws it off. Place it on the table 
between the two sticks ; put the new hive over them, and cover 
it with a clean sheet, and leave them. At night, if the bees are 
in, place the hive on the bench. Some rub the inside of the 
hive, before placing it over the bees, with salt water or green 
walnut-leaves. 



268 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

BUILDINGS. 

The farm-liouse should have, in addition to the other rooms 
described on another page, a room convenient for the purposes 
of the dairy ; and it should be on the north or west side of the 
house, fitted up with every thing necessary for it. There is no 
reason why a farm-house should not be as comfortable and 
pleasant as any other house, with blinds at all the windows, 
and deciduous trees for shade in summer ; also nets for win- 
dows and doors, the latter closing with springs. Comfort is 
not necessarily very expensive ; but these few things make a 
wonderful difference in the happiness and welfare of a family. 
Those who are obliged to spend half the summer night hunting 
mosquitoes do not feel like rising early : it is much cheaper to 
buy a few nets. And flies are as much of a nuisance in the 
farm-house as are mosquitoes, because there is so much to en- 
courage their growth in the waste matter thrown out. 

The farmer's wife usually wastes much of her strength by 
not having water in the house, where it should be, for most 
purposes. A good well of water outside might be kept for 
cooking and drinking : but a cistern for rain-water is needed 
for many purposes ; and the pump leading from it should be 
at the right of the sink, unless, as in many places, it is possible 
to have a stream of water constantly running into the house 
by merely laying an aqueduct of hollowed logs from some 
spring situated higher than the house, on some neighboring 
hill. 

The house should be away from barns, cow-yards, cow-sheds, 
pig-pens, hennery, and privy. Some dwellings have all these 
connected, as under one roof; and the scent is intolerable. 
There is greater danger from fire where all the buildings are 
joined together ; for, if one takes fire, the whole will be about 
sure to burn down. Windows, in summer, should open wholly, 
especially in chambers and kitchen. 

The barn should be built differently from what bams usually 
are ; the common practice being to wholly exclude the sun, thus 
giving a chilly atmosphere in winter within. The large doors 
should be at the east and west ends ; while the lower story of 



THE HOMEKKEPER. 269 

the south side should be nearly all glazed windows, which 
would let in the sun in winter to warm the cattle, whose stalls 
should be built on this side always. By this arrangement 
the sun will not injure their eyes, while it will warm their 
bodies. No hay should ever be piled against or near glass 
windows, as the heat of the sun, in summer, might set it on 
fire. A barn in New Hampshire, which was burned, with all 
its contents, was supposed to have taken fire in this way. 

Cattle, as well as all other animals, need water when they 
want it ; and, if a running stream supplies the -house, it should 
also supply the barn and barn-yard troughs, keeping them 
always full. If no stream can be supplied, a force-pump in the 
well will answer equally well. These force-pumps, with noth- 
ing but the handle and spout above ground, are very useful to the 
farmer, especially in case of fire where no engine is near. A 
hose long enough to reach all the buildings should be kept 
ready. 

The woodshed should be near the cook-room, and filled with 
dry pine-wood, for summer cooking, mostly; while hard wood 
keeps a better winter fire to sit by. The hardest wood, how- 
ever, is needed when broiling is to be done. The farmer who 
keeps his woodland cleared up neatly has plenty of brush and 
small wood for kindling. 

An ice-house is very little expense to the farmer if he has a 
small pond to get his ice from, and saves his family much run- 
ning up and down cellar-stairs. Ice is needed in the dairy, 
and sliould be saved if possible. No cellar should be dug ; but 
the ice is usually laid on the ground, or with only hay or fine 
chips under it. It should be packed as closely as possible, in 
large blocks, and the cracks between them filled with saw-dust 
or very fine chips. The building shoiild be made in a shady 
place if possible. 

FOWLS. 

Fowls may be made a source of great profit to the farmer, or 
a great nuisance to him and his neighbors, according to the 
manner of keeping them. No person in a village, with only a 
few feet of land, has any right to keep fowls to destroy his 



270 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

neighbors' gardens ; yet tlie offence is not an uncommon one : 
and, if the fowls are kept caged in close quarters, they are 
sickly, and unfit for food. 

The raising of poultry, if made a separate business, may be 
made a very profitable one. Spring chickens bring enormous 
prices ; and fresh eggs can always be sold as fast as produced, 
and at prices which ought to satisfy any one. But whether 
a separate business, or carried on in connection with other 
branches of farming, the poultry should be kept by themselves. 
A successful raiser of poultry says he allows an acre of land 
to a hundred fowlb ; and this is not too much, certainly. Hun- 
dreds or thousands o^ them might be raised where now they 
are raised only by the dozen. A constant supply of pure 
water in shallow* troughs is a necessity. How often, in the 
hottest weather, have I seen farmers' hens drinking from the 
sink-drain because there was not a drop of water anywhere 
else within their reach ! 

Trees are much needed for a shade in summer. An orchard 
should be planted in the enclosure ; and both it and the fowls 
would be benefited, as they would eat the worms that would 
otherwise injure the fruit. Ducks and geese must have a 
pond to swim in to render them happy and useful : it need 
not be very large, a small one being better than none ; but a 
wash-tub is rather too small for them to use. Hens should 
have water only in shallow troughs, as, if deep enough, the 
young chickens are sure to get drowned in it. Many are lost 
in this way when allowed to run everywhere. 

The land devoted to hens should have a comfortable house 
on the north side of the lot, and a hedge behind it if possible, 
both to hide the house from view if on the street, and for 
keeping off cold winds in winter. The back side should be 
made of wood, well built to keep out cold ; while the front, 
sloping to the south, should be of glass, very much like a green- 
house. The door should be in one end, and kept locked when 
not in use ; and one or more holes should be left, to allow the 
fowls to run in and out. A hen-house built in this way would 
need very little if any fire in winter to make it a comfortable 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 271 

place for hens. The roosts should he placed at the back side, 
not too high, and of sticks large enough to afford comfort to the 
fowls ; hut, as their feet are not all of one size, sticks of vari- 
ous sizes should be furnished. The laying and sitting boxes 
should be at the front or south side, but not near each other ; 
and each of both kinds of boxes should be lined with hay. 

When a hen wants to sit, the eggs (twelve or thirteen are 
enough) should have the date of beginning marked on each 
with a lead-pencil, as sometimes other hens lay new eggs 
among those which have been sat on some time. The food of 
fowls should be varied : and one of the most important things 
to be done is to have their land ploughed up once or twice a 
year, that they may obtain all the insects they need ; but some 
grass should be left for them, as they need it also. 

A good way to prepare their food, when meal is used, is to 
scald it with boiling water, adding a teaspoon of table-salt to 
each large quart of water, and cooling it with skimmed milk if 
too thick ; or mix it wholly with milk, either boiled or not. 

A farmer's wife, who is very successful in raising poultry, 
says, that the cause of so much loss among young chickens is, 
that their meal is mixed with cold water ; and, if a long cold 
storm comes in spring or early summer, numbers of young 
chickens are sure to die. Her method is, to always mix the 
meal for young fowls with milk ; and, if a storm comes, a little 
black pepper is added ; and the result is, her chickens always 
grow up. Raw onions and cabbages should be cut fine, and 
fed to them, and scraps of meat left at the table, besides cooked 
potatoes and many other vegetables. Bones, instead of being 
left to adorn the back-yard, should be burned till soft, and given 
to the hens. Buckwheat and oatmeal are both considered 
good for them. 

Hens often become lousy ; and a heap of wood-ashes for them 
to roll in is the best remedy for this. Lime should also be 
placed in or near their house. Their manure under the roosts 
should be cleaned out often, and put into barrels to sell if not 
needed ; but, if other farming is carried on, it is too valuable to 
be sold, but should be mixed with loam or other manure, being 



272 THE HOMEEEEPER. 

about as strong and valuable as tbe genuine guano, which is 
seldom to be found. 

The house should be whitewashed inside as often as it needs 
it, and every thing done to keep the air pure in it. Breeding 
in and in should be avoided, and no very old fowls kept, as 
young ones are much more profitable. It costs time and mon- 
ey to fatten old animals and fowls ; while the young of each 
sell readily if not very fat, and are much better too. No fowls 
which are shut up in close coops for the purpose of fattening are 
fit for food : they must have exercise, or they are sickly. 

When eggs begin to hatch, they should be let alone, as 
breaking the shell to assist them kills the chickens inside : 
they usually come out right if let alone. When all are 
hatched, feed them with warm dough made of corn-meal and 
milk ; and keep them and the hen where they cannot run into 
wet grass, as this often kills the chickens: but, at the same 
time, the hen should not be kept in a small coop, as is usual, 
after being without exercise for three weeks. She should have 
plenty of room where there is no danger to the chickens. 
Feed them three times a day till large enough to find their 
own food. 

Ducks bring a good price in the market, and might pay well 
for raising. De Voe names the Muscovy, topknot, and Cayuga 
black as among the best breeds for the table ; and says, " A 
cross between the common and Muscovy produces a very large 
bird at an early age, and is considered by many the choicest 
duck." 

Geese, when two or three months old, that have been well 
fed, are considered very nice eating ; but an old goose for the 
table is dear at any price. The young, when two-thirds grown, 
are called green geese, and sell readily at good prices ; and an 
unlimited number of them would sell in cities if the farmers 
would but raise them. 

Guinea-hens are also profitable to the farmer. De Voe says, 
" They are considered best in the winter months, when they 
take the place of partridges after they are out of season." 

Turkeys are more tender than common fowls, requiring more 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 273 

care, and costing more to raise themy than common fowls ; but 
they also bring a greater price generally. The young need 
much care ; and the farmer's wife before referred to, equally 
successful in raising turkeys, feeds hers, wdien young, with a 
curd made the same as for cheese, from rennet and sweet milk, 
and mixes in it crackers, or white-bread, till they are soaked 
soft : a little black pepper, in cold storms, is added. They 
should not be allowed to run in tall, wet grass, as they like to; 
for this injures, if it does not kill them : but they should have 
a separate enclosure, as should each kind of fowls. Thanks- 
giving time and forward is the farmer's turkey-harvest ; while 
spring chickens and green geese are sold in summer. 

" Hens sit on their eggs, previous to hatching, twenty-one 
days ; ducks, twenty-eight ; geese, from thirty to thirty-five ; 
Guinea-hens, twenty-eight to thirty; turkeys, twenty-eight; 
and pea-hens, twenty-eight to thirty days." 

FLOWER-GAEDEN. 
There are many women who would like to have flowers, 
especially out of doors in summer, were it not supposed to be 
so much work to take care of them. House-plants in winter 
need some care ; and one window full of well-kept ones will 
afford more pleasure than a house full of neglected ones. 
What little care plants need must be supplied at the right 
time, or they become worthless. Then some knowledge of 
plants is necessary, as hardly any tw^o sorts need the same 
treatment. We have few American books, as yet, on this 
subject; and experience must be something of a guide. Eng- 
lish books on gardening are of very little use to us, because 
their climate is so different from ours ; theirs being alwaj's 
moist, while here the sun shines clearly most of the time dur- 
ing summer. Where they prune everything mercilessly to let 
in as much sunlight as possible, we should not do it, because 
our vegetation would be almost scorched by the intense heat 
were we to follow their rules. We must make our own rules, 
and w-rite our own books, on this subject, independently of other 
nations, if we wish success in the same. 

18 



274 THE IIOMEKERPKR. 

We have many plants wliicli will grow as easily as weeds, 
and, if once started, may afterwards be left to take care of 
themselves, being much more pleasing to the eye than weeds, 
which they help to keep out of the way. Many bulbs are 
sufficiently hardy to live without care, year after year ; but their 
tendency is to grow deeper into the soil each year, so that, 
in time, it would be necessary to take them up, planting them 
nearer the surface. Tulips and daffodils grow without care ; 
and it is said that' snowdrops, crocuses, and hyacinths will do 
the same. Peonies grow year after year, as well as hollyhocks, 
columbines, and many others. Hollyhocks are propagated by 
the seeds falling ; and, in this way, new varieties are constantly 
presenting themselves. But there is nothing which makes 
such a show of perpetual blossoms till frost comes as the petu- 
nia. Where it is j)lanted and goes to seed one year, it will 
come up abundantly the next, covering a flower-bed with blos- 
soms, and producing new varieties each year: it will even 
come up, grow, and blossom in a gravel road or path, if the 
seed gets scattered there. Verbenas are said to grow as easily 
if the seed is sown in spring. Pansies grow from the seed 
when once started, besides many other plants. 

Pieces of turf, cut in uniform width, make a good edge for a 
flower-bed ; and a variety of sizes and shapes may be allowed 
in making them. A square is the worst shape for a flower-bed, 
and a circle is as convenient as any. Plenty of well-rotted 
manure should be used spring and fall to insure good results. 
Deep digging is recommended; but, where a woman has it to 
do, a less depth will answer, if liquid manure, or soap-suds left 
after washing, is frequently applied. Plowers need frequent 
watering in sunny weather ; and this is the hardest part of 
gardening, if the water has to be carried far. All dirty suds 
should be saved for this purpose, as the potash contained in it 
is valuable to promote growth. Hard}^ bulbs, if taken np after 
flowering, should be replanted in the fall. 

The amaryllis xn&y be set in the ground in spring, to blos- 
som in August, or kept as a house-plant ; and if it is kept 
rather dry in summer, in a pot, will blossom in the fall or win- 



THE HOMEKEEPEll. '2,1 

ter if reset into rich soil and well watered. If it blossoms in 
the ground in summer, the bulb keeps best in a pot of sand 
or loam in the cellar during the winter, and does not need 
watering usually. The bulbs sometimes blossom when not 
very large. Bulbs which are grown in pots for winter or spring 
flowering should have much deeper pots than some other plants. 
A pot nine inches in diameter will grow three hyacinths, with 
crocus to fill the interstices. October is the time to start 
them; and the soil should be rich and light. The bulb should 
be set so that the shoot is just above the soil ; then wet it 
thoroughly, and keep it in a dark place from five to six weeks, 
that the roots may start. Bring it to the light and heat grad- 
ually, and give plenty of water. 

A variety of tulips may be grown in one large pot ; as many 
as twelve bulbs sometimes being grown in this way. The 
crocus can be raised in pots, like the hyacinth, or out of doors 
in early spring. The narcissus can also be grown in pots for 
winter-flowering, and treated like hyacinths ; three large bulbs 
being considered enough for a pot eight inches in diameter. 
Bulbs of different kinds may grow and blossom in one pot, 
producing a fine effect. 

The dahlia is easy to raise ; sometimes growing as well in 
gravel as anywhere else, if a little liquid manure is applied to 
it occasionally. It sprouts early in spring, if not too dry ; and 
one tuber is sufficient to set in one place. Set theni out as 
soon as frost is gone, and leave them out in the fall till after 
the frost has killed the leaves ; then remove them to the cellar, 
and hang up if th.ere is any danger of rats gnawing them. 
The iris grows easily out of doors without care. 

The calla has a beautiful flower, and often sends Qut several 
of them in succession, if set in rich soil, and the pot kept in a 
dish of water. When the soil is not rich, liquid manure may 
be often applied, producing large fragrant flowers. Where a 
number of them can be planted around a fountain, and kej^t 
wet all the time, they are very ornamental. The blossom 
grows inside of a leaf nearly detached from the main plant; 
and this should never be cut off till it is certain there is no 
blossom growing in it. 



.276 THE HOMEKEErER. 

Cacti are easily grown, and pay well for their care, as some 
of tliem have heautiful blossoms. Their soil should have more 
sand than most plants need, and they should be watered less. 
The prickly-pear grows easily out of doors in a box or pot ; and 
with plenty of sun, and not too much water, bears yellow blos- 
soms, which are succeeded by small sweet pears. It will not 
live out through winter, but may be kept in a cellar. 

The fuchsia is a beautiful plant ; and, if wanted for winter- 
flowering, the flower-buds should be broken or pinched off in 
summer as fast as they appear. They grow well in shade, 
while most plants do not. 

Geraniums are easily grown, and blossom all summer if set 
into the ground, making it gay with bright colors. White 
flowers should be set among them for contrast. If wanted for 
winter-flowering, they should be kept in pots through the sum- 
mer, out of doors, well watered, and the flower-buds pinched 
off, till the middle of September; when they should be taken 
into the house, and allowed to blossom. The double feverfew 
is a pretty flower to alternate with the scarlet or pink gera- 
niums : it is got by cuttings, or by dividing the root. White 
verbenas and petunias may also be used, together with those 
of other colors, making a pleasing variety. The heliotrope is 
a most fragrant flower, and its colors mingle agreeably with 
the others. 

The gladiolus is easily raised; and there are many varieties 
having handsome, showy blossoms. Ivy will grow as easily as 
weeds, but will not live out of doors in winter in our latitude. , 
The English ivy grows well in shaded places, not appearing to 
need much sunlight; but it should be kept very wet if rapid 
growth and large leaves are wanted. Liquid manure should 
be applied occasionally. The leaves, when dusty, should be 
washed ; and they then appear as well as new. It may be 
trained around pictures, made into arches, wreaths, festoons, or 
fixed to a frame. The German ivy grows faster than the 
English, and has a beautiful small yellow blossom growing in 
clusters, very fragrant, and lasts all winter usually. It may 
form a green curtain to a window, or be trained in almost any 



THE HOMEKEKPEH. 277 

way. If planted in a small tub, and elevated on sometliing 
stout enough to hold it, a curtain of falling green branches is 
formed all around tub and support. Both of these kinds of ivy 
grow best in a room not too warm. If they freeze in winter, a 
little cold water poured on them will soon revive them. The 
same is true of nearly all house-plants. One leaf, or a part of 
a leaf, of the German ivy, will take root in water. 

There are many kinds of lily which grow out of doors with- 
out care ; but the fragrant pond-lily is the most beautiful of its 
tribe. It is said that it will grow in small ponds if transplant- 
ed there ; the method being to take the roots between the toes, 
wade into the water, and press the lily-roots down into the mud 
with the foot. 

Moneywort is a pretty trailing plant, with a small yellow 
blossom. It needs much sun and much water to bring it to 
perfection. It appears well v^^hen falling over a marble vase in 
which are growing a variety of gay flowers. There are many 
beautiful varieties of moss ; and some of them which grow very 
fast are suitable for the borders of small flower-beds. 

The oleander is a beautiful shrub, and when once rooted, 
which is done by keeping a cutting in a bottle of water, is not 
difficult to raise. If kept entirely out of the sun, its blossoms 
are pure white ; but, if it has sufficient light and heat from 
this source, its blossoms are a beautiful pink, and of large size. 
The gardener's rule for preparing the soil for this plant is, 
one-half loam, one-fourth peat, and one-fourth leaf-mould from 
the woods, or rotten manure ; or, if this cannot be found, use 
equal parts of peat, loam, and sand. Give water every day ; 
and, when the flower-buds appear, let the pot rest in a panful 
of water all the time. Once in three years it should be repotted. 

Orange-trees are raised for their fragrant blossoms as well 
as their fruit, and may be kept out of doors in tubs during the 
summer, and in winter kept in a dry cellar where they will 
not freeze, if not wanted in the room. They will bear, without 
budding, in about eight years from planting the seed ; and only 
the seeds of the best fruit should be planted. A strong, rich 
soil is needed for them. 



278 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

Some varieties of pinks grow well out of doors without much 
care, and blossom freely. The seeds of various kinds of pop- 
pies make a gay bed, and one not requiring care except to 
water it in a dry time. 

Roses are as beautiful as any flowers there are ; and the hardy 
varieties are easily grown. They need a dressing of well-rot- 
ted manure each fall and spring. Those which appear to be 
decaying should be watered two or three times a week with 
tea made of the soot from a place where wood is burned ; but 
it should be applied cold. "Every fifth or sixtli year they 
should be taken up, the roots cut in, and replanted in fresh, 
soil." 

Verbenas may be raised from seed, and new varieties are 
produced ; but, if the old varieties are wanted in profusion, 
they may be had by layering, which is cutting a crossway slit 
in a branch, and pegging it down till rooted. Plants should 
be layered in the middle of summer. Verbenas for winter- 
flowering should not be kept too wet nor too hot, as this treat- 
ment kills them. 

The Wandering-Jew will live after it appears to be dead, 
and grows vigorously with good treatment. 

Besides these are numberless other plants and shrubs ; but 
most of these mentioned require little care. Flowering shrubs, 
when well started, do not require much care ; and all are more 
or less beautiful. House-plants, as usually treated, do best in 
glazed pots ; and these save much labor, as the unglazed ones 
often get mouldy, and cause much needless labor, being dis- 
agreeable objects if not kept perfectly clean. Plants in a 
■warm room, kept in unglazed pots, need water every day, unless 
the sun is clouded ; but, as they seldom get it, glazed pots had 
better be used, as the water does not evaporate as fast from 
them. A plant that is dry as dust never will amount to 
much. Dirty washing-suds just warm is best to use, and 
liquid manure occasionally. Put some strong manure into an 
old vessel, and add water till full; after a few days, it is fit 
to use ; but it should not be made too strong, nor the plants 
allowed to get dry after it, as it burns them if dry. Small 



THE HOMEKEEPEli. 279 

pots are useless, as there is so little nourishment for the plants 
in them ; and broken crocks are equally useless to keep in the 
bottom, for the same reason, and because no drainage is needed 
in a warm, dry room. 

A compost suitable for most plants, which is recommended 
by gardeners, is one-third leaf-mould, one- third rich loam, and 
one-third river-sand ; and to a bushel of the mixture add a 
shovelful of lime, ashes, or gyspum, and sift all together. 
Some use a richer soil than tliis with good effect. 

House-plants need about the same temperature as do per- 
sons ; not too hot a room, and well ventilated. During the 
longest nights, plants will bear much cold without injury ; and, . 
if they happen to freeze, all that is needed to restore them is 
a drenching with cold water as soon as possible. A sunny 
window is a necessity for winter-plants, as they cannot grow 
without it. In summer they may be kept out of doors, and 
gain strength there ready for winter. Some people suppose 
the reason of their not being successful in raising house-plants 
is because there is so much gas in the room ; but, if there was 
enough to kill plants, human beings could not live in it as 
they do. Their want of success is owing more to a want of 
regular watering than any thing else. 

Flower-beds should be watered thoroughly when it is done, 
that the roots may not spread along the surface of the soil, as 
they do if lightly watered each time. 

" Pricking out " is merely thinning out and transplanting. 
There is a tool called a transplanter to be found at hardware 
stores. " Layering " is cutting a crossway slit in a branch, and 
pegging it down till rooted : this should be done to plants in 
summer. Trees may also be layered ; but they should remain 
pegged down one or two years. The best cuttings of plants 
are those nearest the ground or roots, as they take root easier 
than others. The best season to start cuttings is in August, 
as the heat and moisture during that month cause things to 
grow very fast. The best place to cut is just below the joint 
between the old wood of last year and the new. They are 
usually started in common soil with two inches of fine sand 



280 THE HOMEKEEPER. 

on the top of it. Plants in pots, for winter-flowering, should 
be taken into the house by the middle of September. 

Plant-lice of various kinds are a nuisance when on plants ; 
and many ways are recommended for getting rid of them. 
One is, to fit a cover of pasteboard over the soil, and immerse 
the whole top of the plant in strong soap-suds. Fumigating 
with sulphur or tobacco, with an umbrella over the plants, 
is often tried, as well as syringing the plants with a weak 
solution of chloride of lime. When all other methods fail, 
they may be picked off; although this is a long and tedious 
process, but quite as sure as any. Seeds, when planted, should 
be scattered over the surface of the soil, and a handful of dirt 
scattered over them. If small seeds are planted deep, they 
rot instead of growing. 

Most persons agree that it is conducive to health to have 
plants growing in the room most used by the family ; but the 
same persons are afraid to sleep in the room with plants, for 
fear of the air being poisoned by them. Of course it is best- 
to sleep without them, as plenty of fresli air is needed in the 
sleeping-room in winter, and the plants might thus freeze ; 
but no harm would be likely to result to the person. If plants 
throw out carbonic acid at night, so do persons much more ; 
and who hesitates, on that account, to sleep in the room with 
another person ? The plants must be the only sufferers if 
plenty of air is admitted, as it should be to every sleeping- 
room. 

Bouquets may be furnished daily from a small flower-garden, 
and afford constant delight to the lover of beauty. The 
water should be changed every day ; the ends of flower-stems 
cut off, and new ones added. Children usually like to do such 
work, and may soon learn to arrange them with much taste. 

It is said that perfume may be made from flowers in the 
following way : " Gather the flowers with as few stalks as 
possible, and put them into a jar three-fourths full of olive 
or almond oil, to remain twenty-four hours ; squeeze them 
through a coarse cloth, and repeat the operation with new 
flowers several times if it is wanted very strong: then mix 



THE nOMEKEEPER. 28 1 

the oil witli an equal quantity of pure rectified spirits, and 
shake every day for some time." 

KITCHEN-GARDEN. 

This should be near the house, in a Avarm, sunny exposure, 
where early vegetables may be raised ; but it should not be too 
conspicuous from the house. The farmer who chooses to may 
find that use and beauty are not necessarily opposed to each 
other. A grove is needed near every farm-house for the chil- 
dren to play in, and the family to sit in during the heat of 
summer. It need not be very large : but a cluster or group 
of several kinds of trees, evergreen and deciduous together, 
would hide unpleasant prospects from the house ; while the 
front of it might have an extended lawn and fine prospect, 
without the loss of much grass, which farmers seem to feel so 
much if a tree happens to be near what they call their mow- 
ing-lot. It is sad if the souls of a family must be deprived 
of so much beauty that a few more spires of grass may grow, 
when a little extra manuring would cause enough more to 
grow in other places to make up what the farmer considers 
such a loss. 

All kinds of vegetables should be raised, as nothing need be 
wasted on a farm ; and there is nothing that is more needed to 
secure health than early and well-grown vegetables and fruit. 
Dandelions are about the first to start in spring ; and it pays to 
raise them, and send some distance to market, as they bring a 
great price. Much profit comes from raising rhubarb, aspara- 
gus, and all those early vegetables so necessary to health and 
appetite. 

The production of fruit and vegetables does not increase as 
fast as does the population so there is no danger of a falling- 
off of the present high prices of all provisions. The producers 
should awake to this fact, or, if they already raise more than 
they sell, send it to the large and constantly-growing cities, 
which would purchase much more if the opportunity ofi'ered. 
Small fruits and berries are profitable ; and some kinds are 
easily raised. Hops are in growing demand, and are raised 



282 THE EOMEKEEPER. 

without much cost. Peas should be planted at different times, 
early and late, to produce a succession ; and the vines need not 
be bushed, as they do about as well without. 

What is called in some places " the Boston hotbed," being 
used in the suburbs of that city, is described thus : "It is shel- 
tered by woods or a high board-fence on the north or north-west 
side, and a pit dug parallel with the fence, three feet from it, 
seven feet wide, and two feet deep : the pit faces the south or 
south-east, and a cart-path is left in front for hauling in manure 
and loam. A row of chestnut-posts is set on each side of the pit, 
and two-by-twelve spruce-plank spiked to them, so that the 
plank will be level, or nearly so, endwise of the bed ; but the 
front plank should be two or three inches lower than the back 
one, to admit of good drainage of the sashes, which are placed 
directly on the plank. When complete, the pit will have a six- 
inch space dug outside of the plank : this space should be eight 
or ten inches wide, if it is intended to use the bed in severe 
weather. Put in horse-manure, as hot and fresh as possible, 
to the depth of eight or ten inches, covering it immediately 
with eight or ten inches of loam, and planting on it as soon 
as the heat begins to rise." 

LAWN. 

The lawn should extend from the house to the park or woods, 
if convenient to so arrange them ; and it will often be found 
to be so. A little love of beauty is all that is needed, in most 
cases, to give the farmer's home a different and more pleasing 
aspect than it usually wears. A little skill will do much in 
beautifying a place ; but most persons, when they once begin, 
do too much. Too many trees are cut down, and the remainder 
ruined by pruning either at top, bc^||om, or both ; and, if there 
happens to be a pretty little brook on the place, most likely it 
will be turned into a straight ditch. It seems almost impossi- 
ble for man to trim nature without ruining it by overwork. 

A single large tree, well grown, as nature made it, stands 
out on a lawn, — a most beautiful object, whether it be pine, 
oak, maple, elm, or almost any other variety j and time alone will 



THE HOMEKEEPER. 283 

produce such trees : tliey cannot be bouglit with money, and 
set where we please; but time speaks tlirough every branch. 

A variety of trees set by the roadside is more pleasing than 
to have all of one sort, and their use compels them to grow in 
straight lines ; but no such lines should be allowed on the lawn. 
A border of different trees should be planted, in imitation of 
nature, along the outside of the lawn, and some single trees of 
large-growing varieties left to grow by themselves. In other 
places should be groups of those kinds which harmonize best 
together. And the first thing to remember is, that no evergreen 
should ever be pruned one particle, as this destroys its beauty 
as much as clipping a statue would injure that. The best time 
for transplanting them is early spring, when the rains com- 
mence ; but, if the top or lower branches are cut off, it might 
as well be burned at once, as there is no beauty left in it. 

The jSTorway fir is a beautiful evergreen, whether standing 
alone, with its magnificent lower branches resting on the 
ground, or in a group with other trees. The weeping-willow 
appears well alone ; or it may be grown with evergreens and 
other trees. The white and pitch pines are very fine when 
alone, if large and well-shaped ; and there is music in their 
branches. The sugar-maple is beautiful any time, but espe- 
cially in the fall, when its leaves change color, and, if not plant- 
ed alone, may be set with evergreens and other trees. The 
chestnut, walnut, beech, and buttonwood, — all are handsome, 
alone or with others. The red berries of the mountain-ash 
contrast well with evergreens ; so does the yellow or golden 
willow. 

The birch, silverleaf- maple, and larch will grow in wet 
places ; as also the willows, of which there are many varieties. 
The beech will grow on hilly and rocky places, xirborvitae, if 
grown as a tree, should be planted alone, or outside of a group 
of taller trees. It is used for hedges ; but it is easily injured by 
our winters, dying out in places, and not making as good nor 
as beautiful a hedge as hemlock. The barberry is ornamental 
as well as useful, and should be grown t)n the lawn, in out-of- 
the-way places, or used as a hedge. One or two bushes might 
be set near the house with grood effect. 



284 THE nOMEEEEPER. 

Flowering shrubs should be near the house, as well as at a 
distance ; and flower-beds should be still nearer. Hedges well 
made are preferable to fences, as the latter need constant 
attention from the farmer, and are wearing out; while the 
hedge keeps growing. 

OECHARD. 

The orchard must be set in straight rows, because it is neces- 
sary that it should be ploughed every year to compel the trees 
to strike their roots deep into the soil. Orchards which have 
never been ploughed have the roots of trees grow near the sur- 
face ; and, if they are ploughed after a few years, the trees die. 
By having the roots strike deep, the trees are not harmed by 
dry weather After an orchard has grown so as to shade the 
ground completely, ploughing is not necessar}'. 

Mulching around fruit-trees affords shelter for rats and mice 
in winter, and does more harm than good. These animals 
gnaw trees at their base in winter, when the ground is covered 
with deep snow ; and this is because they cannot get out to get 
their accustomed food. To prevent this, the snow should be 
trodden down firmly around each tree ; and it freezes, making a 
crust which these animals cannot' penetrate. Trees prepared 
in this way are never gnawed. 

It is asserted that much fruit, such as apples and plums,, 
that is destroyed or made worthless by insects, would be saved 
if hogs were allowed to run in the orchard and eat the Avormy 
fruit, which falls prematurely. The worms are thus destroyed 
before they have an opportunity to do more mischief. 

Pruning should not be done in early spring, — for the sap runs 
out then, and injures the tree, — but after the sap has fulfilled 
its office in nourishing and forming the foliage. Scraping the 
bark off, and washing the trunks of trees, is labor lost, for no 
injurious insects are destroyed by it, only the borer (according 
to Copeland) harming the apple-tree ; and this can only be 
reached by a wire thrust into its hole. 

In manuring trees, it should be remembered that the ends 
of the roots are at some distance from the trunk ; and hence a 
large circle should be manured. Wood-ashes are good for 



THE EOMEEEEPER. 285 

trees ; and old ones may be revived- by having ashes applied 
over the roots. 

Grape-vines are often pruned at a time when the sap is 
flowing upward, as it does in spring to form the foliage and 
fruit ; and the consequence is, the vines are nearly or quite 
worthless afterwards, as the sap runs out instead of going 
where it is needed. Pruning should be done after the sap has 
fulfilled this service, and before the leaves fall again. 

Transplanting is most successfully done as soon as the frost 
leaves the ground in spring, and when the April rains are 
commencing. It is natural then for all things to commence 
growing; and the rains keep them from wilting till they get 
started. It is said, that, when trees have been out of the 
ground so long a time as to appear dead, they revive if the 
whole tree is buried in the ground for a few days. 

Grafting-wax is made of equal parts of turpentine, beeswax, 
and rosin, with a little tallow, and the whole melted together ; 
but it should not be applied hot. 

Winter pears bring a great price in cities, and pay well for 
raising. They should be packed in clean paper, dry sand or 
sawdust, and kept in a cool, dry place, where they will not 
freeze, till the right time for each sort to be taken out arrives. 

Fruit should be sent to market in small packages con- 
venient for the retail trade, and neatly packed, as attention to 
these points often doubles the value in the eyes of the pur- 
chaser. Many grapes are brought each year from the West in 
small paper boxes, for which consumers have to pay well. 
Apples and pears should be carefully picked from the trees, 
and the bloom not wiped off; for this forms a natural protec- 
tion to them. All eatables, to sell well, must present an agree- 
able appearance ; and it is as easy to have them so as not. 
The poorer qualities or smaller sizes do not sell well, having 
more waste in them : but they are as profitable for the farmer's 
use as any ; for he has animals to eat the refuse, so that noth- 
ing is wasted. 

It is said that grapes, if carefully packed like pears, will 
keep till March. Oranges, lemons, figs, and peaches are 



286 THE nOMEKEEPER. 

grown in firkins, with an aperture in the hottom of each for 
drainage ; being kept in the cellar in winter, and carried out 
doors to remain through the summer, Figs, it is said, will 
grow out of doors in a sheltered place if the branches are 
wrapped in straw in ISTovember, laid ou the ground, and cov- 
ered with light litter or earth. Some foreign grapes will grow 
with the same treatment. 

PARK. 

The woods can be cleared of under-brush, making a park 
that would delight the children, without any expense, except- 
ing for a few cheap seats, or here and there an inexpensive 
arbor, taking only a short time to make. No wood-lot should 
ever be cleared all at once ; but, as the trees grow, thin them 
out. Near a certain suburban villa is a pine-grove of well- 
grown treses, and underneath them are young oaks springing 
up all over the ground. Adjoining this is a young oak-grove, 
with an undergrowth of young pines : so that, in a few years, 
there will be an agreeable variety in the whole. The farm 
should comprise suificient woodland to keep one open fire burn- 
ing through all the cold weather. 

The proper time for pruning fruit-trees and vines is also 
considered the best time for cutting timber or rails, as it proves 
to be much more durable if cut at this season, after the sap 
has done its annual work. 

Rocks need not be removed for the sake of beauty ; and cer- 
tainly the moss never should be scraped from them ; for both 
together form objects of beauty. No gravelled roads or walks 
are absolutely. needed; and the expense of such a park is very 
small. 

" 'Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, 
Be it never so humble, there's no place like home." 

There's a home dearer far in the land of the blest. 
Where the parted of earth shall find pleasure and rest : 
How welcome the summons that bids us to come 
And share the delights of an eternal home ! 



ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 



PAGE. 

Beef, alphabetically arranged 32 

Bill of Fare ^. . . 15 

Blanc-Mange '. . . 116 

Bread, alphabetically arranged 72 

Butter 117 

Cake, alphabetically arranged 79 

Candy 117 

Cheese 119 

Children, Care of 250 

Cleaning 246 

Cookies 84 

Croquettes 85 

Crullers 85 

Directions, General 14 

Doughnuts 85 

Drinks and Liquids 140 

Eggs 56 

Farm, the 262 

Fires 10 

Fish, alphabetically arranged . , 15 

Frizzles . . .• 57 

Fruit-Ices 117 

Furniture . 244 

Gingerbread 86 

Griddle-Cakes, alphabetically arranged 86 

Health and Sickness, alphabetically arranged 158 

Hired Persons 247 

Home, the .234 

Ice-Cream . . . .' 116 

Insects 153 

Introduction 3 

Ironing 153 

Lamb, alphabetically arranged 37 

Liquids and Drinks 140 

Marriage 254 

Meats, alphabetically arranged 31 

287 



288 ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 

PAGE. 

Mice and Kats 155 

Minced Meat 57 

Muffins 88 

Mutton, alphabetically arranged 38 

Omelets 89 

Pancakes 89 

Pickles 120 

Pies, alphabetically arranged 91 

Pork, alphabetically arranged 39 

Poultry, alphabetically arranged 46 

Poverty-Cakes . . . 89 

Preserves, alphabetically arranged 121 

Puddings, alphabetically arranged 102 

Babbit 52 

Bats and Mice 155 

Sandwiches 58 

Sick, cooking for the . . . . ■ 155 

Sickness and Health, alphabetically arranged 158 

Soap 146 

Soups, alphabetically arranged 26 

Starching 153 

Stews, alphabetically arranged '. . 29 

Toast 89 

Utensils, alphabetically arranged 7 

Veal, alphabetically arranged 53 

Vegetables, alphabetically arranged .......... 68 

Venison '. . 55 

Washing Dishes 12 

^Yashing 147 



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